Virat Kohli to sing for A.R.Rahman

Virat Kohli is under pressure. More than he has ever been on the cricket field.

That’s because the cricketer will be singing - for the first time - the official anthem of Premier Futsal, of which he’s the brand ambassador.

That’s not all; he will be singing to the tune of music director A.R.Rahman, who has composed the song.

‘I’m under more pressure than on the field as I’m sitting next to a person I hugely admire,’ said the cricketer, ‘Many of my childhood memories have a connection to the tunes of this man. I know how to prepare for cricket, but I have no clue about a recording session.’

The anthem, titled Naamhai Futsal, will be released with a video featuring the cricketer in a couple of weeks. Elaborating, A.R.Rahman said, ‘We’ve been working on the song for a week. Virat’s portion will be a rap… I will make it easier for him.’

It’s clear that the cricketer is an unabashed fan of the Oscar winner and one of his favourites is the popular Vandhe Maataram.

‘During any cricket game, the only song that gets everyone together is Vande Maataram - the version Rahman composed,’ said the cricketer, whose favourite singer is Arijit Singh, ‘Apart from the national anthem, that’s the only time you hear 50,000 people singing. I connect to that song in a special way as I get goosebumps hearing it.’

Futsal is a relatively new game to India and is a quicker form of football played by a five-member team indoors.

The Premier Futsal, which will kickstart from mid July and feature eight teams from across the country, is being promoted by Xavier Britto of Indev Group.