'Am I an overseas player?': Virat Kohli shuts down London base jibes in IPL 2026

Virat Kohli made a strong statement on social media chatter surrounding his London base, dismissing jokes that he could be considered an “overseas player” for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Kohli's 38-ball 69, studded with five sixes and as many fours, powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a comfortable six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL season opener on March 28.

According to a HT report, during a video with RCB host Danish Sait, who jokingly asked about the team fielding “five overseas players,” Kohli smiled and replied, “I don’t know, why are you asking me? Ask the overseas players. I am not an overseas player. Am I an overseas player?”

The former India captain joined the tournament after a break following India’s last ODI assignment in January and has been spending more time in London with his family to stay away from the spotlight in India. Despite the hiatus, his form remained sharp, proving he can deliver even without an extensive build-up.

Reflecting on RCB’s first-ever IPL title last season, Kohli opened up about the relief and satisfaction of finally lifting the trophy. “I had heard of this statement or this saying, four years, monkey off the back. That night I really felt what it means. Everything became light,” he said.

After RCB’s IPL season opener win, Kohli addressed concerns about being underprepared after a 10-month gap from the format. He said the bigger challenge for him had always been avoiding burnout.

“Well, you know, the kind of scheduling that we've had over the last 15 years and the amount of cricket I've played, for me there was always a risk of getting burnt out rather than being undercooked. So these breaks helped me immensely. I stay fresh, I stay excited,” he said.

The 37-year-old stressed that he never returns to competitive cricket unless he is more than 100 per cent. “Whenever I come back to play, it's 120%. I'm not coming back, you know, underprepared. In fact, the extra rest helps me to mentally freshen up,” he added.