For Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli, tattoo holds special meaning and significance in his life and career. It’s not surprising then that the has peppered his entire body with lots of different tattoos that reflect his personality and things that are dear to him.
Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batsmen of his generation and arguably of all time. The former Indian captain has been devastating across all three formats of the game and has broken records left, right, and centre. Between 2013 and 2022, he also captained the Indian national team in 213 matches across all formats. Former Test captain Virat Kohli is also the most successful Indian leader in the purest format of the sport, having led the team to 40 wins in 68 matches.
Across his career so far, Virat Kohli has also hammered 70 international centuries across all three formats. He holds the world record for being the fastest to reach 23,000 international runs and has won the Player of the Tournament in consecutive ICC T20 World Cups in 2014 and 2016.
Virat Kohli is also one of the most marketable faces in India and is regarded as a youth icon. His exploits with fashion and fitness are quite popular. Kohli also has several tattoos on his body that all have special meanings and significance. He has been getting new tattoos and peppering his arms and legs for years.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of them.
Virat Kohli tattoo: Where they are and what they mean
Almost every corner of the country is aware of Virat Kohli and his greatness on the field. Wildly charismatic, popular, and energetic, he hogs the limelight off the pitch as well. Kohli’s relationship and eventual marriage with Bollywood actress and producer Anushka Sharma has always attracted tabloids and widespread media coverage. His jaw-dropping fitness transformation as well as his eye-catching and stylish tattoos have often been points of discussion as well. It goes without saying that Kohli is one step higher than other athletes when it comes to style and swagger.
Each tattoo draped on his body isn’t just there for the sake of it, but has a special deep-rooted meaning. Many of them are dedicated to moments and people who are special in his life.
Tribal tattoo on his right forearm
This was the first time that Virat Kohli got inked in his life. In interviews, he has mentioned that at that point in time he only wanted to get inked to show the world that he was cool and thus, he chose to get tribal art which represents tribalism, loyalty to people as well as inherent aggression.
That uncontrolled aggression was a large part of Virat Kohli’s personality in the initial phase of his career and opting for the tribal tattoo explains some of the reasons why he decided to do so.
Scorpio tattoo on his upper right arm
On his right bicep, Virat Kohli has his zodiac sign Scorpion tattooed. It is his sun sign as he was born on November 5. According to astrology, Scorpios are said to be strong-willed, determined, and resilient people who handle difficulties and challenges with courage and bravery.
These attributes fit well with someone with the personality of the former Indian captain who has worked so hard to find success in his life. About his tattoo, Kohli believes that he is someone who always tries to push ahead in order to attain success, and therefore, he wanted to make it a part of his body.
Lord Shiva tattoo on his left forearm
Virat Kohli is said to be a big devotee of Lord Shiva and therefore, he has a tattoo of Lord Shiva meditating on Mount Kailash on his left forearm. In Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva is regarded to be ‘the destroyer’ of negative elements, and Kohli, similarly, wants to destroy negative attributes associated with him in his pursuit of absolute perfection.
The idea of Lord Shiva meditating on Mount Kailash is also supposed to bring serene inner peace and the quest to discover oneself.
Monastery tattoo on his left shoulder
Right next to the tattoo of Lord Shiva on Virat Kohli’s left arm, he has inscribed a monastery. A monastery is a symbol of peace, prosperity, power, mindfulness, and meditation. Before going out to bat and ahead of a particular match, Kohli wants to be in his zone and therefore, he has the monastery tattoo to focus on finding a sense of calm and focus.
While he was born with a dose of aggression, Kohli often needs to go out of his way in order to find a sense of composure and find the right balance between the two. He wants to be in control of his own body and mind in order to succeed at the highest level.
Name of his parents on his arms
Virat has inscribed the names of his parents – Prem and Saroj – on his arms. Virat’s father, Prem Kohli, played a big role in his life and got him started on his cricket journey. He used to take him to coaching from a very young age in Delhi and also had big dreams of seeing his son play for India one day. However, those dreams remained unfulfilled as his father passed away when he was just 18 years of age, even before he made his international debut.
There’s also a popular story that demonstrates Kohli’s mental strength and fortitude. Apparently, his father passed away when he was with the Delhi team and playing in the Ranji Trophy. After receiving the news of his demise, Kohli finished the day’s proceedings and went straight home to complete all the rites and rituals. He came back the next day and went out and smashed a century and dedicated to his late father.
Virat’s mother, Saroj Kohli, has also been a big pillar of strength for him following the passing away of his father. She has been essential in his rise as a cricketer and has seen him go through everything.
“Purely because the connection that I have felt with them is something that is unexplained. It is a feeling, it’s not even something that can be put into words. Hence I wanted to make it a part of me until I’m alive.” he explained about the tattoos dedicated to his parents.
ODI debut cap number on his left hand
Virat Kohli made his ODI and international debut for India on 18 August 2008 against Sri Lanka. He became the 175th player to represent in One Day Internationals and he has his cap number 175 tattooed on his left arm.
Test debut cap number on his upper left hand
Beside his ODI cap number, Virat Kohli has also tattooed his Test debut cap number. He appeared in the all-whites for India for the first time on 20 June 2011 against West Indies. He was the 269th player from India to do so and has the number 269 etched on him.
“These numbers will always remain with me because when you look back at the charts 200 years from now, in front of these numbers, there will be my name. These will always be special numbers and hence I decided to get them,” Kohli had said.
A Japanese Samurai Warrior on his upper left arm
Virat Kohli has a tattoo of a Japanese Warrior with a raised sword as he believes he shares many qualities with the Samurais, especially the Bushido code which consists of seven virtues – Gi (Justice), Yu (Courage), Jin (Benevolence), Rei (Politeness), Makoto (Honesty), Meiyo (Honor) and Chugi (Loyalty).
He believes that he has had to fight for everything in his life so far and therefore, the tattoo is a representation of him.
God’s eye on his left shoulder
Virat Kohli believes that no matter who you are, where you are, or what you are doing, God is always watching you. That is why he decided to get a God’s eye tattoo to always remember that someone is watching him from above. This is the philosophy behind this tattoo.
He also believes that it also makes him understand what the essence of life is and what human beings need to do in order to achieve their eventual goals.
Om tattoo on his left shoulder
Just beside the God’s eye tattoo, Virat Kohli has the Om symbol inscribed on him. It is the most recent tattoo that he got inked on his body. The Om sound is considered a universal sound across the world and is widely recognized as the essence of life in the whole Universe. The tattoo keeps Kohli reminding that a human in only a dust particle in the entire universe, hence he should never think bigger of himself.
“Anywhere you observe sounds of the universe that is, you know, what is the most consistent sound that you will hear and that is the essence of life. To understand you’re not even a dust particle in the universe and sometimes our ego allows us to think that we’re everything. So, I think it’s quite astonishing and quite magnificent in a lot of ways. I’ve started to understand that now. So, I have started to realize strongly that I’m meant to be where I am and this is not random,” he said about this particular tattoo.
FAQs
What tattoo does Virat Kohli have on his hand?
On his hands, Virat Kohli has his ODI and Test debut cap numbers tattooed. He also has the names of his parents inked. Besides these, he also has Lord Shiva, and a tribal tattoo on his hand.
What is the Scorpio tattoo on Virat Kohli?
The Scorpio tattoo represents the inherent qualities of his sun sign as a Scorpio. He was born on November 5. Scorpios are said to be strong-willed, determined, and resilient people who handle difficulties and challenges with courage and bravery and the tattoo is said to be a representation of it.
Does Virat Kohli have a Lord Shiva tattoo on his body?
Yes, Virat Kohli has the tattoo of Lord Shiva meditating on Mount Kailash on his left forearm.
