Virat Kohli bats for gender equity, respect for women

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has condemned the ill-treatment of women in our society, which he said has always treated them as inferiors.

Not known to speak on matters other than cricket, Kohli for the first time spoke about his social concerns in an exclusive interview to The Hindu at his Gurgaon home on Thursday.

The incidents of rapes, murders and attacks on senior citizens, are extremely disturbing, says Kohli.

“It has obviously been a major concern for a long time, especially rapes, molestations and eve-teasing. It is very disrespectful to look at women in that way.”

The root of the problem, he says, lies in the way we treat women.

“It comes from the kind of society that we have built over the years where women have always been known to be treated as inferiors. How can this be done? This mentality is disturbing and needs to be condemned.”

Virat Kohli is a man of multiple hues. Fine batsman, aggressive captain, expressive individual and above all a young man carving his own legacy.

In this first part of an exhaustive interview, Kohli lays bare his emotions, does a self-appraisal and throws light on what makes him tick as a person and as a cricketer.