Mumbai, May 25 -- He is Team India's new star. And understandably, Virat Kohli has also become the centre of attraction for link-up stories and gossip columns. The 22-year-old cricketer has been linked up with several ladies including model-actor Sarah-Jane Dias, who made her Bollywood debut with the Abhishek Bachchan-starrer Game.
Apparently, Virat and Sarah were being discreet about their 'friendship' despite being seen partying and dining together. But the Delhi boy denies it all. "Neither do I know her, nor do I have any idea what she looks like. So what should I say about such things?" he asks.
Besides Sarah, Virat has also been associated with Kannada actor Sanjana and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (2008) girl Genelia D'Souza. While he shared screen space with the latter in an ad campaign for a lifestyle brand recently, rumour had it that he was spotted partying with Sanjana on several occasions in Bangalore. Bring any of this up with Virat, and he refuses to talk.
What he is really excited about is his first priority - cricket. "That is my only passion in life. I want to concentrate on it and give it my best as I have a long road ahead of me," he says. And even though his outing in the TV commercial with Genelia was appreciated, he isn't interested in making a mark in the ad world or in films.
"Ad films come along the way. Some brands have shown faith in me, so I try to fulfill my responsibilities to the best of my abilities," he smiles, adding, "And as for acting, I leave that to the Bollywood actors, who do a brilliant job to entertain people."
Virat, who represents Royal Challengers Bangalore in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), doesn't feel the IPL has been taxing, but believes it has been a huge change from playing for Team India. "After a long and intense World Cup, there was little time for us to absorb the win as the IPL was only five days away. Both are different forms of cricket with regards to mindset and approach," he says.
Although talks of a break for Indian cricketers following a long sporting season have been rife, Virat is more than happy to continue. "I don't have any fitness problems. I want to play as much as possible. I don't think I can talk about resting now. I'm pretty excited to go on the West Indies tour," says the sportsman. "Joining the Indian team has been a life changing experience. Once you start performing, the expectations go up and you constantly have to try harder to ensure they are met."
