I never claimed to be vegan, says Kohli

Virat Kohli sought to clarify the controversy regarding his diet after fans questioned him for eating eggs despite his reputation of being a 'vegan'.

Kohli took to Twitter on Tuesday to clear the confusion, saying he has always maintained he is a vegetarian and not vegan.

'I never claimed to be vegan. Always maintained I'm vegetarian. Take a deep breath and eat your Veggies (if you want),' the India cricket captain tweeted.

In an Instagram chat with fans on Saturday, when he was asked about his diet, Kohli replied: 'Lots of vegetables, some eggs, 2 cups of coffee, quinoa, lots of spinach, love dosas too. But all in controlled quantities.'

Folks thereafter pounced on the skipper on social media asking how he was having eggs despite being 'vegan'.

During an Instagram chat with former England captain Kevin Pietersen last year, Kohli revealed that he had given up eating meat due to 'a cervical spine issue'.

'Left eating meat just before the England Test series. In 2018, when we went to South Africa, I got a cervical spine issue while playing a Test match. It compressed a nerve that was running straight till my little finger of my right hand.'

'It gave me a tingling sensation and I could barely feel my little finger. I could not sleep at night and it was hurting like mad.'

''I had a cervical spine issue which resulted in a tingling sensation in my little finger making it difficult for me to bat. It happened around the Centurion Test in South Africa in 2018.'

'Moreover, my stomach became a bit acidic, my uric acid went high and my stomach started pulling calcium from the bones which actually resulted in the spine issue.'

'Hence, I had to cut down on meat and now I feel better than ever.'