It is no secret that Virat Kohli is the most popular cricketer in the world. On Instagram, Virat Kohli is the most followed Asian person and the third most followed sportsperson after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Virat Kohli’s superstardom has led the world to pay attention to both his abilities and his game. The list of his fans in the international sporting arena includes prestigious names like David Beckham and Harry Kane. Recently, tennis star Novak Djokovic also joined this list of fans.
‘Virat Kohli is a friend and I respect and admire him’ – Novak Djokovic
Speaking on the sidelines of the Laureus World Sports Awards on Tuesday, the Serbian said, “Yes, Virat is a friend and of course I respect him and admire him. Sorry. To be honest, he is actually the reason I started following cricket. I didn’t follow it. So through him, I started following it more.”
“And, you know, we keep in touch. And hopefully when I come, I don’t want to say that, when I come to India, hopefully he can join in, and then we can play a little bit of tennis, a little bit of cricket, and have fun and just spread, you know, positive, good feelings with people and celebrate the game.”
If that happens, it won’t be the first time Djokovic has exchanged tennis serves or cricket shots with a cricketer. During the Australian Open in 2024, Djokovic played both tennis and cricket with Steve Smith at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
Also Read: “I’m not jealous of it”: Joe Root makes a big statement on Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni’s fame
“Message to India” – Novak Djokovic
Djokovic also left a message for India and the Indian fans who have supported him throughout his career. Djokovic also said that he would like to visit the country soon.
Djokovic said, “My message is always love, respect and appreciation, first of all, for the support I have personally been getting over the years from all the Indian tennis fans and Indian sports fans around the world. There are so many people I am meeting at the moment. And my message will also be ‘see you in India very soon because I need to go to India. I have been feeling the call to come here for the last few years.’
He said, “So I really hope that I will be able to come to India and do an event, play a match or do whatever. I really wish for that because I feel very close to the Indian people.”
Virat Kohli is currently in action and Djokovic was last seen in March
Djokovic was last seen on the field at the Indian Wells Open in the United States in March. In that tournament, she had a fourth round exit in the singles tournament and a second round exit in the doubles.
However, Kohli is currently in action for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2026. RCB is currently at second position in the points table with 4 wins in 6 matches. Their next match will be against Gujarat Titans in Bengaluru on Friday, April 24. That match will be the last group stage game of IPL 2026 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Garden City. RCB will play its other two home matches in Raipur.
