It’s safe to say that no cricketer has achieved the global stardom like Virat Kohli. Yes, there might have been better players than him before, and there might be better coming up down the road as well, but what Kohli has achieved for the sport in helping it gain global recognition is undeniable. The likes of David Beckham, Harry Kane, and Novak Djokovic have spoken about how they truly admire Kohli, serving as a testament to the former India captain’s popularity. Three years ago, even Joe Rogan was shocked to learn that Kohli had more Instagram followers than LeBron James.
Amid the ever-growing fanfare around Kohli, the 24-time Grand Slam winner opened up on his bond with the legendary batter, saying he started following cricket because of Kohli. He further stated that he really admires and respects the 37-year-old and wants to meet him in India.
“Yes, Virat is a friend and someone I, of course, respect and admire. Excuse me. He’s actually, to be honest, the reason why I started following cricket. I haven’t followed it. So through him, I started following it more,” Djokovic told Times Now on the sidelines of the Laureus World Sports Awards on Tuesday.
“And, you know, we keep in touch. And hopefully when I come, I don’t want to say if, when I come to India, hopefully he can join, and then we could do a little bit of tennis, a little bit of cricket, and have fun and just spread, you know, positive, good vibes with people and celebrate sport,” he added.
Last year, Kohli attended Wimbledon, where he watched the match between Djokovic and Alex de Minaur. The Serbian won the fourth-round fixture, and Kohli then took to Instagram to congratulate the former World No.1. Djokovic then responded, thanking Kohli for his kind words.
‘Message for India’
Djokovic also said that he truly respects the love from the Indian fans and wants to visit the country sooner rather than later.
“My message is always love, respect, and appreciation for, first of all, all the support over the years that I personally have been receiving from all the Indian tennis fans and Indian sports fans around the world. There are so many that I’ve been meeting all this time. And my message would also be ‘See you very soon in India because I need to go to India. I’ve been feeling a calling to come for the last couple of years,” said Djokovic.
“So I really hope that I’ll be able to come to India and do an event, play a match, or whatever it is. I really wish for that because I feel very close to Indian people,” he added.