Virat Kohli Responds To Trolls Calling Him An “Overseas Player” Following London Move

Virat Kohli resides in London with his wife Anushka Sharma and their children, and is frequently spotted enjoying walks through the city's streets.

Virat Kohli Responds To Trolls Calling Him An “Overseas Player” Following London Move

Virat Kohli laughed off trolls' suggestion that he is RCB's fifth 'overseas' player in the playing XI. (via X)

In Short
  • Virat Kohli humorously addressed trolls labeling him as an "overseas player" due to his residence in London.
  • He scored an unbeaten 69 runs in RCB's opening match of the 2026 IPL season, leading to a victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad.
  • Kohli has a strong record against CSK, being the highest run-scorer against them in IPL history with 1,146 runs.

RCB icon Virat Kohli offered a cheeky response to social media trolls, labeling him as the fifth ‘overseas’ player in the defending IPL champions’ playing XI. His response was filled with humor as he continued his preparations for the team’s upcoming match.

The 2026 IPL season began well for Virat Kohli and RCB, after a successful 2025 edition where they went on to lift the title. They started their campaign on a winning note, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the season opener by six wickets, chasing down a massive 202-run target in just 15.4 overs. New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy was named POTM for recording impressive figures of 3/22 in his four-over spell. 

For the defending champions, the chase seemed to be an easy one, with Kohli playing a part in it. The 37-year-old veteran anchored the innings, scoring an unbeaten 69 runs off 38 balls with the help of five fours and five sixes. He forged a match-winning 101-run stand with Devdutt Padikkal, who scored a blistering 61 runs off just 26 deliveries. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar chipped in with a quick-fire 31 runs off 12 balls.

While Kohli’s presence seems to have an extraordinary effect on the Bengaluru-based franchise, he has also been a subject of trolling and criticism. The former Indian captain, in a light-hearted interaction with RCB’s content creator, Danish Sait, who is popularly referred to as ‘Mr. Nags’. was asked about a viral social media joke. Mr. Nags cleverly pressed the seasoned batter to respond to the social media gossip claiming that RCB’s XI includes five ‘overseas’ players.

The ‘overseas’ player reference is aimed at Kohli’s decision to move to London, where he has been residing with his family since 2024. He only travels to India for his cricketing commitments. When the IPL legend was questioned about the joke, he burst into laughter and, with his characteristic wit, suggested that he genuinely did not understand what the trolls were referring to. Kohli also expressed confusion as to why he was being asked about it, since he is not an overseas player.

I am not understanding what they [trolls] are asking actually…I don’t know why are you asking me? Ask the overseas players. I am not an overseas player.

Furthermore, he was asked about how he felt after winning the title last summer. Kohli responded with contentment, exclaiming that it was a fruit of their hard work, sacrifices, and commitment, and stressed the need to remain motivated. 

With a big IPL clash looming, how strong is Virat Kohli’s record against CSK?

The 11th match of the 2026 IPL season will feature Royal Challengers Bengaluru facing off against the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings. This highly anticipated southern rivalry at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, will be the teams’ only encounter this summer.

Virat Kohli vs. CSK
Virat Kohli has scored over 1,000 runs vs. CSK, in the IPL. (via NDTV Sports)

With CSK talisman MS Dhoni out of the first two weeks of IPL 2026 due to an injury, all eyes will therefore be on RCB’s Virat Kohli. The tournament’s all-time highest run-getter, Kohli, also boasts great stats against the Men in Yellow. In fact, the 37-year-old is the highest run-getter versus CSK in the IPL, with 1,146 runs to his name in 35 matches, at a remarkable average of 38.2.

Kohli’s highest individual score against CSK is an unbeaten 90 runs, which he scored during a league-stage clash in IPL 2020 in Dubai. Overall, he has ten half-centuries against Chennai, and leads the charts ahead of Shikhar Dhawan (1057 runs) and Rohit Sharma (972 runs). At RCB’s home ground, the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli has scored 389 runs across 11 innings against CSK, at a better strike-rate of 149.04. 

Meanwhile, the right-hander’s 69-run knock against SRH in the 2026 IPL opener also took him closer to the 9,000-run mark in the competition. The former Indian captain has scored 8,730 runs in 268 matches in the IPL, including eight centuries and 64 half-centuries. 

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