Kohli's Humorous Take on 'Overseas Player' Label in IPL 2026
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Bengaluru, April 4 (NationPress) In a light-hearted exchange, Virat Kohli addressed the amusing social media buzz labeling him an "overseas player" for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. This interaction took place in a video featuring content creator Mr. Nags, shared by the franchise on Saturday.
Despite playing solely ODIs for India after withdrawing from Test and T20 formats, Kohli remains a hot topic among fans. The renowned batsman has been spending considerable time in London with his wife Anushka Sharma and their children, which has sparked amusing discussions online. Some fans jokingly claimed that RCB is fielding five overseas players because of his presence in England.
This joke stems from IPL regulations, which permit only four overseas players in a match squad. Kohli's frequent stays in England have led fans to humorously refer to him as an additional overseas player.
During the video interaction, Danish Sait, in his Mr. Nags persona, remarked, "There's chatter that RCB is fielding five overseas players, but I don't quite grasp what they mean." Kohli couldn't help but laugh at this comment.
The former RCB captain responded, "I’m unsure why you're asking me! Why not ask the overseas players? I'm not one of them." He then turned to the host, asking, "Am I an overseas player?" to which the answer was a resounding "no."
Recently, Kohli also dismissed false claims suggesting he requested a chartered flight for travel between India and London during IPL 2026, supposedly wanting to fly home during gaps longer than three days between matches.
He refuted the claim by sharing a screenshot of the now-deleted post on his Instagram story, adding a few 'laughing out loud' emojis for good measure.
On the field, Kohli is showing great form. He scored an impressive 69 runs off just 38 balls in RCB’s opening match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, leading his team to a six-wicket victory.
Virat is set to take the pitch again when RCB faces off against the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) this Sunday at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.