Virat Kohli’s attempt to enjoy a quiet afternoon in London with Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate Jordan Cox ended up highlighting the challenges of living life away from the spotlight, with the England batter revealing that the former India captain was unknowingly photographed during their private meeting.
Speaking to The Guardian, Cox recalled meeting Kohli at a London cafe on the eve of his Test debut against New Zealand at The Oval last month. The conversation revolved around cricket, nerves and Kohli’s own experience before making his India debut in 2011.
Cox admitted he was concerned by the lack of nerves ahead of the biggest match of his career, only for Kohli to reassure him by saying it was a far better state of mind than his own before his first Test.
However, what was meant to be a quiet catch-up between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammates quickly became public after photographs of the meeting surfaced online.
“The upsetting thing for him is that people are following him without him knowing,” Cox told The Guardian.
“Hundreds of people walked past us, no one stopped, no one did anything. But then about two hours later he’s texting me going, ‘Have you seen all these photos?’ I was like, ‘What the hell?’
“It’s just a shame how many people want a piece of him. He just wants to go under the radar, have fun and live a normal life. Unfortunately, that’s not always possible.”
The incident offers a glimpse into Kohli’s life away from cricket. Over the last two years, the former India captain has spent much of his time living in London with wife Anushka Sharma and their children, travelling back to India only for international assignments, the IPL and commercial commitments. Since retiring from Test cricket earlier this year after already stepping away from T20Is, Kohli has largely kept a low public profile, although his appearances in England continue to attract significant attention.
The 37-year-old is now set to return to international action in India’s three-match ODI series against England, beginning next week. After completing his rehabilitation from the hamstring injury that ruled him out of the Afghanistan series, Kohli has been preparing in Mumbai before flying to England, where India will play in Birmingham, Cardiff and at Lord’s. The series is expected to be one of his key assignments as he builds towards the 2027 ODI World Cup.
While the photographs sparked discussion on social media, Cox said his biggest takeaway from spending time with Kohli during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning IPL campaign was the Indian great’s willingness to mentor younger players.
“The thing that I found the most special during the IPL is how much time he gave me as a player and, for someone that’s achieved so much, how much he gives back generally,” Cox said.
“Some guys focus on their own game but he is someone who always wants to help others before he helps himself. That is very rare.”
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