Star Indian batter Virat Kohli reflected upon his connection with Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic in a recent video released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The 35-year-old illuminated the rapport he maintains with the tennis ace and recounted how their communication commenced on Instagram. Kohli disclosed his intention to send a text, but upon selecting the message button, he discovered that Djokovic had already sent him a direct message.
"I got in touch with Novak very organically. I was just looking at his Instagram profile once and happened to press his "Message" button. I thought I would say him 'Hello, maybe.' Then I saw a message from him on my DM already. I never saw it myself," Kohli said in the video.
"The first time I saw my own messages, I saw that he had messaged me himself. Then I was like, Let's check if it is a fake account or not. But then I checked it and it was legitimate. Then we started talking, exchanging messages every now and then. I would congratulate him on all of his fantastic achievements," the ODI World Cup 2023 Player Of The Tournament added.
Kohli said that the two of them share a lot of mutual respect and admiration before recalling how when he got to the 50th ODI Hundred he received a personal message from the tennis ace.
"There has been mutual admiration and respect. It is nice to connect with global athletes who are excelling at a high level. Collectively, it is sending out a message of inspiration to the next generation in a way," said Virat.
"I have a lot of respect for him and his journey; his passion for fitness is something I follow and believe in myself. So there is a lot to connect on. Hopefully, when he comes to India or if I happen to be in a country where he is playing, I will catch up with him and just chill out and have a cup of coffee," he added.
Remember, while speaking on Sony Sports Network, Djokovic disclosed that over the past few years, despite not meeting in person, the pair have stayed in touch through text messages.
“Virat Kohli and I have been texting a bit for a few years. We never got a chance to meet in person, but it was really an honour and a privilege to hear him speak nicely about me. I obviously admire all of his career and achievements. I started to play cricket, but I’m not very good at it. But I have a task to perfect my cricket skills before I come to India, and don’t embarrass myself, when I’m there,” Djokovic said.
“I have been feeling the love from India for many years. I’ve been to India only once, 10-11 years back, to play an exhibition tennis match in New Delhi, so I hope I’ll be able to come back in the near future. I have a great desire to explore your beautiful country that has so much history and culture to offer to the world.”
- Virat Kohli
