Former captain Virat Kohli on Sunday, March 22, took to social media to laugh off rumors that he had demanded charter flights during the IPL 2026 season to travel between London and Bengaluru. In his Instagram story, Kohli dismissed the speculation with two emojis.
The very fact that Kohli chose to respond to the rumors suggests that he was unimpressed by the speculative and baseless nature of the claims. One such post even claimed that the star cricketer had asked the Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise for chartered planes to travel to London and return to India if the gap between two IPL matches exceeds three days.
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Kohli recently returned to India from London and joined the RCB training camp in Bengaluru before the start of IPL 2026 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB, the defending champions, will face SunRisers Hyderabad in the season opener on March 28. Screengrab from Virat Kohli’s Instagram story
Rumors about Kohli’s trips to London are not new. His decision to make London his headquarters during the off-season has sparked debate about the boundaries between the superstar’s private life and public duties. Kohli, who recently welcomed his second child, is increasingly seeking the anonymity of the UK capital, where he is often seen carrying out normal activities – such as grocery shopping or walking in public parks – without the overwhelming fan attention he faces in India. For the former captain, the move is said to be a conscious effort to ensure a “normal” upbringing for his children, away from the unrelenting spotlight at home.
However, this shift did not go down well with a section of the cricket community. Critics on social media, along with several former players, question the optics of a national icon spending an extended period abroad. The “dedication” narrative has taken center stage, with naysayers suggesting his extended stays overseas risk creating a disconnect between the home circuit and the fans who have supported his rise.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
22 March 2026 14:27 IST
