All 9 Virat Kohli tattoos and their meanings explained

After leading the Indian youth side to the Under 19 World Cup title in 2008, Virat Kohli has come a long way in the last years. He is not only the captain of the Indian cricket team but is also the best batsmen across all three formats in the world right now.

During this journey to success, Virat Kohli got his body inked nine times. Each and every tattoo on Virat's body has a story to tell and signifies a turning point in the life of the dashing Delhi batsman.

In the first episode of National Geographic's Mega Icons based on Virat Kohli, the Indian skipper revealed secrets about all the tattoos on his body. "To be very honest, when I was young it was about being a little cool when I started to get inked but slowly I realized that this is something that gives me a sense of my own identity. And from getting a random tribal design, to getting Shiva on my forearm now, it is a reflection of how my life has gone where it stands today and what I think and see of life back then to now."

*All the images of tattoos are from the Mega Icons episode telecasted on 24 September 2018 by National Geographic channel.*

Below is a list of Virat Kohli's nine tattoos and their meanings:

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#1 Names of his parents:

Mother's name

Right from childhood, Virat Kohli had the complete support of his parents to pursue the sport. The game of cricket was introduced to him by his father when he was just 3 years old. The Indian captain got the names of his parents inked to commemorate the bond that he shares with them. "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."

Father's name

#2 Lord Shiva:

Lord Shiva

On Virat's left forearm is a tattoo of Lord Shiva meditating with Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in the background. Lord Shiva, who is one of the principal deities in Hinduism is referred to as the Destroyer of evil and the God of creation.

Only the destruction of wrong things would pave a path for the right things in life. Even after facing setbacks in life, Virat Kohli rose up against to become a better person following the principles of Lord Shiva.

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#3 Monastery:

Monastery

Just beside the tattoo of Lord Shiva is a tattoo of a monastery on Virat's left forearm. For a man who has dedicated his life to the monastery of 22 yards, the tattoo symbolises peace of mind that helps him excel in the cricket pitch.

#4 ODI and Test cap numbers:

India ODI cap #175

In 2008, Virat Kohli made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Dambulla and became the 175th Indian cricketer to play for India in ODIs. Three years later, he became the 269th Indian to represent India in Test matches.

Speaking about the significance of the events, Kohli said, "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."

India test cap #269

#5 Tribal art:

Tribal art

Virat Kohli's tattoo journey has started with this piece of tribal design. The tribal art represents aggression and is one of the first tattoos that the aggressive Indian captain got. After getting this tattoo as a novice, Virat Kohli inked his body many times with a lot more meaningful tattoos.

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#6 Zodiac sign:

Virat Kohli's zodiac sign is Scorpio

Born on November 5th, 1988, Virat Kohli's zodiac sign is Scorpio and to symbolize that, the talented right-handed batsman got 'Scorpio' inked on his right arm. As a Scorpio, it is obvious that Virat Kohli is a strong-willed person who traversed through the difficulties of life with a brave heart.

#7 Japanese Samurai:

Samurai

On the left arm, Virat has a big tattoo of a Japanese Samurai. The philosophy behind the tattoo is based on the Bushido code of the Samurai which states the seven virtues of being a warrior - Gi (Justice), Yu (Courage), Jin (Benevolence), Rei (Politeness), Makoto (Honesty), Meiyo (Honor) and Chugi (Loyalty).

Kohli explained how he relates with the Japanese Samurai tattoo. He said "I felt like these are the same characteristics that I share. I've had to fight for everything that I've got in life so far, and I will have to be this person all my life because of the choices that I will keep making. And hence it was a representation of me wanting to do something so badly which was wanting to become a professional cricketer."

#8 God's eye:

God's eye

On his right shoulder, is a big tattoo of a celestial eye. Kohli explained why it's so special to him - "I call it the God's eye. So, basically, the all-seeing eye. That everything that's happening is being watched and there's someone always keeping a count of everything that you do. So that makes you feel connected in a way and also, that makes you understand the essence of life and what we need to do as human beings and what our eventual goal is."

#9 Om symbol:

Om

"The last one that I have here is finished with an Om symbol, which is the universal sound, which is probably the most consistent thing in the whole universe. 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," said Virat Kohli about his latest tattoo.

His mantra for life:

During the show, he not only explained the meaning behind his tattoos but also shared his mantra for life - "I don't need to look any further than both my arms to understand where I was and where I've come now. The only focus I have in life right now is to be able to impact people's lives in a positive way. It needs to be so simple for you to be able to unleash your best self. And you have to go to the basics what we call in cricket. I think it applies to life as well. There's no rocket science, there's no secret to it."