'People want a piece of him': Virat Kohli's RCB teammate shares surprising details behind viral UK photos

Virat Kohli is back to full fitness after recovering from a hamstring injury and is set to feature in India's upcoming three-match ODI series against England. The former India captain has been training in the UK for over a month and heads into the series in excellent form after scoring more than 600 runs for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the IPL 2026 season.

During his stay in England, Kohli was spotted spending time with RCB teammate and England batter Jordon Cox. The meeting took place ahead of Cox's Test debut against New Zealand, with photos of the two quickly going viral on social media.

Speaking about the incident a month later, Cox revealed that neither he nor Kohli had intended to be photographed. The England batter admitted they were surprised to see the images circulating online and explained that Kohli prefers to keep a low profile whenever possible, valuing his privacy away from the cricket field. Besides playing for England, Cox is also a friend of Kohli.

“The upsetting thing for him is that people are following him without him knowing. 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?’," Cox told the Guardian.

“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," he added.

Cox also spoke highly of Kohli's willingness to mentor younger players during their time together at RCB in IPL 2026. He said the Indian batting great was always ready to share his experience and support teammates despite his own stature in the game.

“The thing that I found the most special during the IPL is how much time he gave me as a player and, for someone who’s achieved so much, how much he gives back generally. 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," said Cox.

Kohli is expected to make his return to international cricket when India face England in the first ODI on July 14. The three-match series will be played across Birmingham, Cardiff and Lord's.

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