Virat Kohli indulges in ‘chicken tikka’ controversy; Here’s the truth behind vegetarian cricketer’s viral Instagram story

Batting stalwart Virat Kohli turned vegetarian a few years back and busted all the myths of having to eat non-veg to stay fit. Previously a huge fan of non-veg, Kohli had completely avoided animal-based foods from his diet due to personal reasons but later revealed that it helped him take his fitness to a new level. The 35-year-old, the backbone of the Indian batting unit, is one of the fittest athletes in the world.

Meanwhile, Kohli’s latest Instagram story has created controversy and confused his fans at the same time. The former India captain shared an image of an almost-finished plate with the caption: “You’ve really nailed this mock chicken tikka. My god!”. Unable to understand the twist, fans were left scratching their heads wondering if the cricketer was still a vegetarian.

So, what’s the twist?

Mock chicken tikka is not animal-based but plant-based. The mock version of the dish is not made with chicken, but soy is used in the preparation, meaning it is a vegetarian dish. The flavors and textures of the food item make it difficult to differentiate between veg and non-veg.

Why did Kohli give up non-veg?

A few years ago, Kohli had revealed that he had become a complete vegetarian before the Test series in England in 2018. He was feeling unwell due to excess uric acid in his body.

“Left eating meat just before the England Test series. In 2018, when we went to South Africa, I had a cervical spine issue while playing a test match. It compressed a nerve that was running straight to the little finger of my right hand. It gave me a tingling sensation and I could barely feel my little finger. I could not sleep at night and it was hurting like mad,” Kohli said in an Instagram Live session.

“Then I got my tests done and my stomach was too acidic and my body was too acidic, creating too much uric acid. Even though I was taking calcium and magnesium, everything but one tablet was not sufficient for my body to function properly. So, my stomach started pulling calcium from my bones and my bones got weaker. That is why I stopped eating meat completely in the middle of England tour to cut down the uric acid and I have never felt better in my life, to be honest,” he added.