India cricket captain, Bollywood star announce birth of baby

NEW DELHI (AP) — Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma has given birth to a baby girl, her husband and captain of the country’s national cricket team, Virat Kohli, said Monday, declaring that the couple was beyond blessed to start “this new chapter of our lives.”

“We thank you all for your love, prayers and good wishes,” Kohli wrote on Twitter.

The as-yet-unnamed baby — the couple’s first child — arrived nearly three years after Sharma and Kohli married in a low-key ceremony in Italy in December 2017 after being in a relationship for several years.

Kohli, 32, is one of the world’s top batsmen. He was with the national team in an ongoing tour to Australia but returned to India in December after taking paternity leave and missing the second, third and fourth matches. He has been by the side of his wife since then.

Sharma, 32, is one of the most successful and highest-paid actresses in Bollywood. She was last seen on the big screen in the 2018 film “Zero,” and has also been working on content for major streaming platforms including Netflix.

The couple is extremely popular on social media and millions follow them across different platforms.

Shortly after the announcement, fans took to Twitter to celebrate the news. Bollywood celebrities and Indian cricketers congratulated the couple on social media.

Cricket and Bollywood are two of India’s great national institutions.