Virat Kohli leads Diwali wishes and urges fans for cracker free festival
NEW DELHI: India skipper Virat Kohli on Friday extended wishes on the occasion of Diwali and urged countrymen to celebrate the festival of light without crackers.
Kohli is currently in Sydney with the Indian team to play limited-overs series against Australia. Earlier this week, the BCCI announced that Kohli will be missing three Test matches in the upcoming series against Australia.
Kohli has been granted paternity leave and as a result, he will be featuring in just the opening Test of the four-match series.
"A very happy Diwali from me to you and your families. May god bless you with peace, prosperity and happiness this Diwali. Please remember do not burst crackers to protect the environment and have fun at home with your loved ones with a simple diya and sweets on this auspicious occasion," Kohli said in a video posted on his official Twitter handle.
Several former cricketers like Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman also wished their fans a happy and safe Diwali.
"Wishing all of you Happy Deepavali. May the Divine Light of Diwali Spread into your Life Peace, Prosperity, Happiness and Good Health," Laxman tweeted.
"May your path always be lit with love and happiness. Wish you a very #HappyDiwali2020," Sehwag tweeted.
Not just Indian cricketers but Australian opener David Warner, who recently led SunRisers Hyderabad to the IPL 2020 playoffs, also sent greetings to his Indian friends.
"Happy Diwali to all our friends in India," David Warner wrote on his Instagram post.
Diwali is observed on the 15th day of Kartik, the holiest month in the Hindu lunar calendar and it is believed that on this day Lord Rama (the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu) returned from a 14-year-long exile during which he fought and won a battle against the demon king Ravana.
People across the country celebrate the festival by decorating their houses, exchanging gifts, and offering prayers in order to commemorate the "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance".