Virat Kohli, the India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) talisman, is currently in the UK as he undergoes rehab for his hamstring injury. The issue that popped up during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final against the Gujarat Titans recently ruled him out of the ODIs against Afghanistan, but the 37-year-old is expected to get fit in time for the next assignment against England in July. Kohli has attained some downtime and is spending his time with his family in London.
On Tuesday, several pictures surfaced online showing Kohli taking time out for English batter Jordon Cox. The meeting was all the more discussion-worthy as it came hours before the 25-year-old was named in the England playing XI for the second Test against New Zealand, beginning at the Oval on Wednesday, June 17.
The pictures showed Kohli and Cox chatting in a London restaurant. It is worth noting that both players shared the RCB dressing room during the IPL 2026 season. While Kohli had an exceptional season, scoring 675 runs, Jordon didn’t get a single game for the franchise.
However, no one really knows what the discussion was about between Kohli and Cox; but the latter seemed to be listening carefully as the former India captain possibly gave him some tips ahead of his much-awaited Test debut.
Speaking of Kohli, he has shifted his base to London and is often seen spending time with his family during the breaks. The right-handed batter would be required to return to India ahead of the series against England, as all players need to obtain fitness clearance from the Sports Science Team of the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
Ever since retiring from Test cricket last year, Kohli has maintained a low public profile and this is the main reason behind every appearance of his creating major buzz among his fans.
England name XI
On Tuesday, England announced their playing XI for the second Test against New Zealand. Sonny Baker and Cox will be making their Test debuts, while Jofra Archer and Matt Fisher have also been drafted into the XI.
Earlier, Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were left out of the squad after the duo broke team curfew and were involved in a nightclub brawl with a rugby academy player. However, the British media has already confirmed that the two cricketers weren’t aggressive, and it was the rugby player who tried to punch Atkinson.
An investigation is underway and Stokes might lose England’s captaincy. There were also reports that the all-rounder was contemplating retiring from international cricket.