Anushka Sharma reveals she turns to husband Virat Kohli for batting tips as she preps for Chakda Xpress

Anushka Sharma is all set to play Indian bowler Jhulan Goswami in her next film, Chakda Xpress.

The actor is undergoing intense training to get her cricket skills right, and it’s her husband, former captain of the India cricket team, Virat Kohli, who has been actively helping her, giving her feedback.

Directed by Prosit Roy, Chakda Xpress is based on the life of Jhulan, who became the second Indian woman cricketer to receive the Padma Shri, in 2012. The film marks Anushka Sharma’s comeback to the big screen after almost five years now. She was last seen in Zero with Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif.

Anushka told Harper’s Bazaar in an interview that she and Virat discuss her progress for her new film, as she shows him her cricketing videos. She said, “We definitely discuss my progress. Whenever I’ve had a good day learning, I like to share my videos with Virat, to get his feedback. Luckily, he’s not a bowler so I listen to my coach more. But I do turn to Virat for batting tips.”

Anushka and Virat dated for some time before tying the knot in 2017. Recalling how far the two have come in life, and how much she appreciates what her husband does, as a cricketer, she said, “I always appreciated how mentally pressurising .

It can be to play cricket, but now, I also understand how physically draining it is. I remember when Virat would sometimes come to see me on a film set, and he would watch us on late-night shoots or in very cold places, he would be bewildered and wonder how we were able to do it. Now, I talk to him about the things that he’s been doing for so many years.”

Anushka Sharma announced Chakda Xpress in 2022. Speaking about the film, she shared on social media, “It is a really special film because it is essentially a story of tremendous sacrifice. Chakda Xpress is inspired by the life and times of former Indian captain Jhulan Goswami and it will be an eye-opener into the world of women’s cricket.

At a time when Jhulan decided to become a cricketer and make her country proud on the global stage, it was very tough for women to even think of playing the sport. This film is a dramatic retelling of several instances that shaped her life and also women’s cricket.”