Star India pacer Ishant Sharma has said that Virat Kohli is a childhood friend of his, and while he is a superstar to the world, he is ‘Cheeku’ to him, as he reminisced about their good old days of playing together for Delhi and eventually for the Indian national team. Ishant, who is currently playing for the Gujarat Titans, said that Kohli will always be Cheeku to those who grew up with him, reflecting on the friendship that dates back to their days in Delhi cricket. Ishant, who played beside Kohli from the U-17 level through to the senior level India side, said that the latter’s public image of a superstar contrasts with the person he has known since childhood. “I think Virat Kohli (the star) is for outside people. I can’t see him like that because we played in the U-17s. He is a childhood friend of mine. When we were in the U-19s, we used to count how much money we had,” Ishant said while speaking on the Star Sports Press Room. “We used to eat food. When we used to go to the U-19s, we used to save our TAs and take them with us. So, Virat Kohli is different for everyone. He is different for me. Imagine your brother has reached such heights,” Ishant added. The veteran Indian pacer recalled his and Kohli’s days in the under-19 setup, where they shared rooms, budgeted meals and saved travel allowances. Ishant said that their bond remained despite Kohli’s stardom, in contrast to a few other cricketers who have claimed the opposite. “Everyone is thinking that he is great. But you will see that at the end of the day, he is a human being. At the end of the day, you have spent a lot of time with him. You know him in and out,” Ishant said. “I have never felt that he is Virat Kohli. For us, he is Cheeku. We have always seen it like this. He has also seen me like this. We are sleeping together and sharing a room. When our India debut came, the name of the team came…he kicked me and said, Your name has come,” Ishant added.