Virat Kohli got a first peek of England batter Jordon Cox in London, days before he was to make his highly anticipated Test debut against New Zealand at The Oval. The match has sparked interest in the cricketing world fans, partly due to the fact that both competed in IPL 2026 at the same venue, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Right-hander Kohli is playing rehabilitation in the United Kingdom after a hamstring injury that he suffered during the IPL 2026 final with Gujarat Titans. But the international bat has been excluded from India’s ODI series against Afghanistan, though reports were India’s star would be fit for his subsequent tour of England in July.
Images of Kohli and Cox in a London restaurant were widely shared via social media, depicting their demeanour as two men talking. Much has been said about what they talked about, but many were speculating that the veteran Indian batsman could have imparted useful information to the young Englishman before his debut in his first Test match.
In IPL 2026, Cox, who was once included in the IPL squad for RCB, didn’t feature in any match during the tournament. Virat Kohli, however, had another spectacular season, having amassed 675 runs, and had been playing an important role for the team.
The meeting follows on from Cox’s recent appearance for his debut Team of the century in the shortest format, and marks an important time in the England captain’s preparation ahead of his debut in the longest format. Anythought given by Kohli would be especially pertinent on the merits of his experience and his ability to have thrived in England.
Kohli’s recovery programme is on-going in London while he is projected to be in India for fitness testings before taking on the England assignment.