Virat Kohli and Novak Djokovic's surprising friendship takes center stage as Australian Open commences

In a recent revelation, Virat Kohli, the prominent Indian cricket team batter, shared insights into his unexpected friendship with Serbian tennis maestro Novak Djokovic. Kohli disclosed that their connection began with a casual "hello" message sent on Instagram, evolving into a unique bond marked by mutual admiration.

The camaraderie hit a high point when Djokovic congratulated Kohli on achieving his 50th ODI century during the ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal against New Zealand last year. Djokovic's sincere message and public acknowledgment added a personal touch to their burgeoning friendship.

"I got in touch with Novak very organically. I was just looking at his Instagram profile once and happened to press his "Message" button. I thought I would say him 'Hello, maybe.' Then I saw a message from him on my DM already. I never saw it myself. The first time I saw my own messages, I saw that he had messaged me himself. Then I was like, Lets check if it is a fake account or not. But then I checked it and it was legitimate. Then we started talking, exchanging messages every now and then. I would congratulate him on all of his fantastic achievements," recalled Virat.



"I have a lot of respect for him and his journey; his passion for fitness is something I follow and believe in myself. So there is a lot to connect on. Hopefully, when he comes to India or if I happen to be in a country where he is playing, I will catch up with him and just chill out and have a cup of coffee," said Virat.

Talking about a recent viral video of the Australian batter playing tennis with Djokovic, which also saw the multi-time Grand Slam champion try his hand at cricket, Virat said that Djokovic is better at swinging a bat than cricketers are at swinging a racquet.

"I think Steve did well to return his serve. When you play cricket and have hand-eye coordination, you feel tempted to say, "Yeah, I can do this (play racquet sports). But I have seen racquet sports and how fast these serves are. So I have no chance with it. It will be nice to do that (play tennis) with him as well. The only thing I can maybe teach him is how to hold a bat," said Virat.

As Djokovic readies himself to defend his men's singles title at the Australian Open, Kohli extended his best wishes, underlining Australia's special significance to him. He expressed confidence that Djokovic would relish the support from the energetic Aussie crowd during the tournament.

"Novak I would like to wish you the very best for the Australian Open. I know how excited and prepared you are for these big events, these grand slams. I have no doubt that we will see Djokovic we have seen over the years. I hope you have a great tournament. Australia is a lovely place to visit and play a tournament. It is my favourite place to play cricket. The love and support from Australians is something great, as they appreciate true sportsmanship and fierce competition, which you have in abundance," he concluded.

Djokovic, reciprocating the sentiment, expressed a keen interest in exploring India's rich culture, reminiscing about a past trip to the country. Both sporting legends, Djokovic with an impressive 24 Grand Slam titles and Kohli with numerous cricket accolades, epitomize excellence in their respective arenas.

Speaking to Sony Sports Network, Djokovic said, "Virat Kohli and I have been texting a little bit for a few years and we never got the chance to meet in person. But it was really a privilege and honour to listen to him speak nicely about me and I obviously admire his career, and achievement and everything he has done."

"I have been to India only once so far in my life. It was, I think, 10 or 11 years ago. I came to play an exhibition event in New Delhi for two days. It was a very short stay. So, I really hope that I will be able to come back in the near future, too, because I have a great desire and a great wish to explore your beautiful country, which has so much history, so much culture to offer the world and so much spirituality as well. It is amazing," the 36-year-old continued.

Djokovic, on the verge of potentially securing his 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, aims to surpass the record held by Australia's Margaret Court. Meanwhile, Kohli, having clinched victories in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and the ICC Champions Trophy with India, stands as the sole player with 50 ODI centuries. His stellar performances earned him the title of 'ICC Cricketer of the Decade' in 2020.

As India prepares to face Afghanistan in the second T20I at Indore, Virat Kohli makes a noteworthy return to T20Is after over a year. The match follows India's disappointing loss to England in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal, heightening anticipation for Kohli's comeback in the shorter format.

With the Australian Open unfolding and Kohli's return to T20Is, the sports world is buzzing with excitement, capturing the attention and anticipation of fans globally.

(With inputs from ANI)