England batter Jordan Cox has spoken about an unsettling experience involving his Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate Virat Kohli, revealing that the Indian batter was secretly photographed during a private meeting at a London café last month. Cox shared the details ahead of the first ODI between India and England, scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Birmingham.
A day before making his Test debut for England at The Oval, Cox met up with Kohli, his mentor at RCB, in a London café. Cox was worried
about a lack of nerves ahead of the game, with Kohli reassuring him that this was a far better headspace to be in than before his own debut 15 years earlier. While the pair thought they had gone largely unnoticed, save for a couple of double-takes, it did not take long for paparazzi shots to start circulating online.
"The upsetting thing for him is that people are following him without him knowing. Hundreds of people walked past us, no one stopped, no one did anything. But then about two hours later he's texting me going 'have you seen all these photos?' I was like 'what the hell?'," said Cox as quoted by The Guardian.
"It's just a shame how many people want a piece of him. He just wants to go under the radar, have fun and live a normal life. Unfortunately, that's not always possible," he added.
Cox was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 season and got an opportunity to work closely with Kohli, noting that despite all his achievements, the 37-year-old consistently prioritised helping others over his own game. Cox did not play a game for the Bengaluru side in the IPL but was still part of the squad that won the title.
"The thing that I found the most special during the IPL is how much time he gave me as a player and, for someone that's achieved so much, how much he gives back generally. Some guys focus on their own game but he is someone who always wants to help others before he helps himself. That is very rare," Cox said.
Kohli was ruled out of the Afghanistan ODIs due to a hamstring injury sustained during the IPL 2026 final, where RCB successfully defended the title. He is expected to be fully fit for the three ODIs in England, beginning July 14. India and England also conclude the five-match T20I series on Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Southampton, with England leading 3-0, before attention shifts to the 50-over assignment. Kohli's return will be central to India's chances of turning the tour around.
