Virat Kohli's foundation to set up animal shelters in Mumbai, read details

India captain Virat Kohli's foundation will set up two ''animal shelters'' on the outskirts of Mumbai as a part of its animal welfare project. The Virat Kohli Foundation has collaborated with Vivaldis Animal Health and Awaaz, Voice of Stray Animals, a Mumbai-based NGO for the purpose.

The shelters will be set up in Malad and Boisar and will be run by Awaaz (VOSA). On the occasion of World Stray Animals’ Day, Virat wrote on his Twitter handle, "To ensure health & support to stray animals, @vkfofficial has now taken its first step towards animal welfare in collaboration with Vivaldis. I want to thank my wife @AnushkaSharma for inspiring me by her passion towards animals & for being a constant advocate for animal rights." [sic]

The shelter in Malad will be a temporary rehabilitation centre, where animals (small animals - dogs & cats) will be admitted for a temporary period until they recover.

The centre in Boisar will be a permanent shelter, which will keep animals who are blind/paralysed. Vivaldis Animal Health is a leading Indian animal healthcare company founded by Kunal Khanna.

Kohli will also sponsor ambulances. "Looking after the welfare of animals is a cause very close to my heart now as Anushka is very passionate about this issue. Her vision to help stray animals across India is truly inspiring for me and since I have met her, I have tried to understand more about animal rights and the urgent need for medical assistance for strays. It is our dream to create a safer space for the stray animals of our city and I’m happy to be taking on this project with Vivaldis and Awaaz, and working with like-minded people to create some facilities to help these animals" Kohli said in a statement.

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RCB IPL 2021 schedule

Meanwhile, Kohli is currently in Chennai prepping for IPL this season. After finishing last year's IPL season in 4th place, RCB will take on defending champions and five-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians in the opening match of this season. The match will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on April 9. Here is the rest of the RCB IPL 2021 schedule:

(With PTI inputs)