For last couple of days, mainstream Indian media is all abuzzed by the news of Indian Cricket skipper Mr. Virat Kohli's decision to turn vegan.

I was expecting this story to be covered on sports pages of newspapers but today I found it on the front page of Times of India.

Virat Kohli had turned vegan some four months back but it's only now that media came to know of it.

Did Virat Kohli really go vegan?

Virat Kohli was a big time fan of several non-veg dishes. Last Novemeber in a "Breakfast With Champions" show, he had revealed his breakfast consisting of 1 omlette, 3 egg whites, 1 whole egg and decent amount of cheese for fat. However he admitted that he hasn't eaten chicken and nan for four years.

But four months back he along with his wife Anushka Sharma quit eating all animal protein including eggs and dairy. He turned vegan in an effort to improve his fitness and performance. And he is feeling more fit and energetic after turning vegan.

We all know that tennis superstars Venus Williams & Serena Williams are long time vegans and so is Olympic sprinter Carl Lewis and F-1 champion Lewis Hemilton. "Germany's Strongest Man" Patrik Baboumian is also a long time vegan advocate. So there are many vegan champions in the arena of sports too. But Virat Kohli turning vegan is something remarkable as he is the captain of Indian cricket team with a lot of fan following. The game of cricket in India can be said as the national heartbeat of India.

Yet, I'm questioning the way he is being promoted as a vegan. Why?

Because celebrities turning vegan is always hyped. Some years back when the renowned Bollywood superstar Amir Khan turned vegan, we saw a similar excitement. But the truth couldn't be ignored when he was seen promoting non-vegan stuff through the storyline of his film Dangal.

Actually, when people like Virat Kohli are hailed for turning vegan, they in fact go vegan for either health, fitness, environment or some other reason but NOT the ethical reason. In fact, I can state:

Virat Kohli has not turned vegan but his diet has turned vegan.

Now some of you may not understand this. Many people think that veganism is a diet whereas when you follow a vegan diet, technically you have not gone vegan but it's called following a "plant-based diet". Due to the lack of proper terminology, people refer to the persons following a plant-based diet as vegan too. Since the term "plant-based" is not a proper word or term but a description of the diet, it looks easier to call oneself as vegan for the sake of understanding.

I don't have much problem with this as I don't want to be a purist here. But when a "plant-based" diet follower is promoted as a "vegan", it makes a lot of confusion and hurt the understanding of fundamental principles of veganism. That's why I use different terms in Hindi for a vegan (nirvadya) and a vegan-diet (nirvadyaahar).

I commend Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma for choosing a plant-based diet for whatever reasons. But going vegan means something more. Will Virat not use a leather ball or a fish-skin bat when playing cricket? Will he avoid leather seat covers in his car and sofa? Will he not be using non-vegan cosmetics and toiletries any more? I doubt. But if he does that, I'd be more than happy to call him a vegan.

• Do you think Virat Kohli has really gone vegan?
• Do you feel that the news of Virat Kohli going vegan will inspire many Indians to go vegan?

Please let me know your opinions on this in the comments below.

Thanks!