Returning to the Indian squad for the second T20I against Afghanistan on Sunday, former captain Virat Kohli talked about an interaction he had with the defending Australian Open 2024 champion, Novak Djokovic.
Kohli was spotted leaving Mumbai for Indore before the second T20I between Rohit Sharma’s Team India and Afghanistan. Kohli will be in charge of India’s batting in the crucial match at Holkar Cricket Stadium. In the absence of Kohli, Rohit and the team won against the Rashid Khan-less side in Mohali with six wickets.
Virat Kohli Shared Unheard Story About His Latest ‘Text Buddy’ Novak Djokovic
In a conversation with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on the eve of the 2nd T20I between India and Afghanistan, Kohli reminisced about his initial interaction with Djokovic, whom he referred to as his ‘newest text buddy.’
For those who might not know, Djokovic recently mentioned Kohli in the lead-up to the Australian Open. Kohli, who has been in constant contact with the Serbian player, shared that he initially reached out to Djokovic through Instagram. Kohli revealed:
“When I saw Novak Djokovic’s profile on Instagram and I pressed the message button organically – then I saw his message already on my DM (Direct Message) since then, we started talking to each other and sending wishes,”
Kohli expressed his anticipation for a coffee meetup with Djokovic in India and conveyed his best wishes for Djokovic’s performance in the opening Grand Slam event of the 2023 season.
As Kohli prepares to make his T20I cricket comeback in Indore, Djokovic is gearing up to defend his title at the Australian Open in Melbourne on the same day. Discussing their camaraderie, Kohli revealed that Djokovic had conveyed a special message to him following the Indian cricketer’s record-breaking 50th century at the One Day International (ODI) World Cup last year.
He added: “When I got 50th ODI Century, Novak Djokovic put a story, sent me a nice message as well so there is mutual admiration and respect – really nice to connect with global athletes,”
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
Virat Kohli 🤝 Novak Djokovic
Two 🐐 🐐, one special bond 💙
Virat Kohli shares the story about his newest “text buddy” 👌👌 – By @ameyatilak#TeamIndia | @imVkohli | @DjokerNole | @AustralianOpen
𝙋.𝙎. – “Hey Novak 👋 – Good luck at AO” pic.twitter.com/PEPQnydwJB
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 14, 2024
What Djokovic said about Kohli?
In an interview with Sony Sports ahead of the Australian Open 2024, Djokovic mentioned that he and Kohli have been exchanging text messages for a few years. Despite their communication, the tennis and cricket icons have yet to have the opportunity to meet in person. He had said:
“It was really a privilege and honour to listen to him speak nicely about me and I obviously admire his career and achievement and everything he has done,”
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