“Virat Kohli is a fierce animal rights proponent who never hesitates to run out cruelty to animals any way he can. PETA India encourages everyone to follow his lead and always be an advocate for animals in need,” says PETA India Director of Celebrity and Public Relations Sachin Bangera.
Past recipients of the award include Shashi Tharoor, former Supreme Court Justice KS Panicker Radhakrishnan and actors Anushka Sharma, Sunny Leone, Sonam Kapoor, Kapil Sharma, Hema Malini, R. Madhavan, and Jacqueline Fernandez.
Kohli also reportedly swung by an animal shelter in Bengaluru to give lots of love to the injured and formerly neglected dogs there and to send a message to fans to adopt companion animals and never buy them from breeders or pet stores.