Wednesday 25 March 2020 13:28, UK
Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and his Bollywood actress wife Anushka Sharma have posted a video message to their compatriots, urging them to stay at home for the next three weeks in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The power couple helped to spread the word as the country of 1.3 billion went into lockdown on Wednesday.
Kohli and actress Sharma have a combined 55 million followers on Twitter, and posted their joint message on the platform.
"These are testing times and we need to wake up to the seriousness of this situation," Kohli said, in the message recorded in Hindi.
"Please let us all follow what's been told to us and stand united, please. It's a plea to everyone. Stay at home and save your family from coronavirus."
The couple said it will take time to combat the pandemic and people should adhere to the government's call for a curfew and a lockdown for 21 days.
"If you show carelessness, the whole nation will have to pay a heavy price," Kohli said. "For 21 days India has to stay at home and save the Indian nation."
Together, the couple say: "Show your unity, save lives and your country."
All cricket in the country has been suspended, including the lucrative Indian Premier League, which had been due to start on March 29 before being postponed.
India's unprecedented lockdown is aimed at keeping the virus from spreading and overwhelming its fragile health care system as it has done in parts of Europe, where infections are still surging.
India has about 450 cases of the virus, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned that if he did not act now it could set the country back decades.
