Despite stepping away from Test cricket, Virat Kohli remains closely connected with Team India. According to reports, Kohli recently hosted a few members of the Indian squad at his London residence.
The gathering took place just days before the much-anticipated five-match Test series against England, beginning on June 20 at Headingley. Among those present were India’s new Test captain Shubman Gill, newly appointed vice-captain Rishabh Pant, and pacer Mohammed Siraj.
A video report by RevSportz confirmed the visit, noting that the players spent a relaxed evening with Kohli. This marks a fresh chapter for the Indian Test team, with Shubman Gill making his debut as captain after Rohit Sharma and Kohli both retired from the longest format during the IPL 2025 season.
Anderson Reflects on Bowling to Kohli and Tendulkar
James Anderson, who retired last season after a 21-year-long career, recently shared his experience bowling to two of India’s greatest batters—Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. While Anderson dismissed Tendulkar nine times and Kohli seven times, he admitted that bowling to Kohli was more challenging. “I had some success early against Kohli the first time he came to England (2014).
I really exploited, he had a weakness outside off stump, really exploited that and then the next time I played against him (in 2018), he’d obviously gone away and worked on that and it was like bowling at a different player,” Anderson said in an interview with talkSport.
Kohli’s Competitive Edge Left a Lasting Impression
Anderson pointed out how Kohli evolved significantly as a batter between series. “He’d really taken his game to a different level, made it very difficult for not just me but for the bowlers in general and I think I got him out maybe four or five times the first series and then didn’t get him out in the next series I played against him,” he explained.
Comparing the two Indian legends, Anderson observed, “Against Sachin for example I didn’t feel like there was that sort of shift in dominance. With Kohli, there was definitely a shift and yeah I found him a really difficult player to bowl at because he also had that sort of steely mindset.”
He described Tendulkar as a ‘God-like’ figure, while portraying Kohli as a fiercely competitive and in-your-face personality: “Kohli wanted to get into a battle. He wanted you to know (that). He’s very competitive and after that initial success it was pretty difficult to go up against him.”
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