Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma welcome baby boy Akaay; know what the name means

Celebrity couple Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli on February 15 welcomed their second child, a baby boy whom they have named Akaay. The couple broke the news on social media on Tuesday evening (February 20), ending days of speculations about Anushka being pregnant for the second time.

“With abundant happiness and our hearts full of love, we are pleased to inform everyone that on 15th February, we welcomed our baby boy Akaay and Vamika’s little brother into this world! We seek your blessings and good wishes in this beautiful time in our lives. We request you to kindly respect our privacy at this time,” said the official statement signed by Virat and Anushka, which was shared on their individual social media profiles.

While Virat and Anushka fans were overjoyed with the news, celebrities took to their social media pages to wish the couple.

What does Akaay mean?

But what left several fans boggled is the meaning of the name Akaay. A quick google search shows that Akaay is someone who has the radiant glow of the full moon. The name is said to have Turkish roots, but may also have links to the Hindi word ‘kaya’ (body) and suggest someone who is beyond the physical realm.

In Sanskrit, the name means someone without a body.

Virat and Anushka’s older child also has a unique name – Vamika – an epithet used to describe goddess Durga.

Celebrities wish couple

The good news has elicited a string of congratulatory wishes on social media with celebrities – from actors Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhat, Sonam Kapoor to cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, Harsha Bhogle and author Shobhaa De – sending blessings for the newborn.

“How beautiful! Congratulations (red heart),” Alia replied to Anushka’s Instagram post.

Ranveer Singh dropped an evil eye (nazar) amulet and red heart emojis in response to the post.

“Congratulations (red hearts),” wrote Sonam Kapoor.

“Congratulations and a happy birthday to the little man,” wrote Farhan Akhtar.

“Congratulations to Virat and Anushka on the arrival of Akaay, a precious addition to your beautiful family! Just like his name lights up the room, may he fill your world with endless joy and laughter. Here's to the adventures and memories you'll cherish forever. Welcome to the world, little champ!” Tendulkar posted on X.

“FABULOUS NEWS!! Congratulations. @imVkohli @AnushkaSharma,” posted Shobhaa.

“A bundle of joy has arrived! Congratulations to @AnushkaSharma and @imVkohli on the birth of your baby boy Akaay. Sending lots of love and blessings to the new family #AnushkaSharma #ViratKohli,” former cricketer Jhulan Goswami posted on X.

While speculations were rife about Anushka’s second pregnancy given her limited social outings, South African cricketer AB de Villers official broke the news in a video on his YouTube channel stating that Virat had to skip the five-match Test series against England as they were expecting their second child. Villers, however, later backtracked and issued a public apology.

After dating each other for several years, Anushka and Virat got hitched in a private ceremony at Borgo Finocchieto, an 800-year-old villa in Italy’s Tuscany, on December 11, 2017. Their first child, Vamika was born in 2021.