Former RCB teammate opens up about Virat Kohli’s personality away from cricket

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The Indian cricket landscape is bracing for a mix of high-stakes transition and rare off-field revelations as the international calendar shifts into high gear. While fans are accustomed to seeing the fiery, intense version of Virat Kohli rewriting batting records on the pitch, a recent peak behind the curtain offers a refreshing perspective on the man behind the myth. Simultaneously, the Indian team management is navigating a crucial selection pivot following an unfortunate injury blow to the talismanic batter just ahead of the upcoming white-ball assignment.

England all-rounder Liam Livingstone has opened up about Kohli’s contrasting personalities, highlighting the stark difference between his fierce on-field demeanour and his remarkably relaxed private life. Livingstone, who shared the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) dressing room with Kohli during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season before moving to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2026, revealed that the modern-day great actively seeks to escape the relentless public glare inside cricket-crazy India.

Speaking on The Overlap Cricket YouTube channel, Livingstone described Kohli as an ultra-competitive force once he crosses the boundary rope, but an incredibly “chill” individual away from it. “He was amazing. On the field, he’s ultra-competitive. As soon as he steps over that line, he’s a different person,” Livingstone noted.

However, the English cricketer emphasized that off the clock, Kohli prioritizes family time and prefers a low-profile existence. “On the field, he is a really nice, chill guy, and loves spending time with his family… It is almost like he doesn’t want that life… He doesn’t really want the eye on him all the time,” he added.

Livingstone also credited RCB’s leadership duo of Director of Cricket Mo Bobat and head coach Andy Flower for tactically reinventing Kohli’s modern T20 template. The coaching staff successfully urged Kohli to maximize the powerplay overs, resulting in a staggering, career-best IPL strike rate of 165.85 in the 2026 season, characterized by a highly aggressive approach against both pace and spin.

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While Kohli’s tactical evolution has been a masterclass, India will have to navigate their upcoming three-match One Day International (ODI) series against Afghanistan without him. The former skipper sustained a hamstring injury during the IPL 2026 final on May 31. With a grueling and vital tour of England looming in July, selectors are taking zero risks, granting Kohli an extended recovery window to regain peak fitness.

In his absence, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is poised to step into the senior ODI squad for the series commencing June 13. The 29-year-old elegant batter is in sublime white-ball form, having smashed a spectacular 105 off 83 balls in his last ODI appearance against South Africa in Raipur. Gaikwad’s promotion to the senior side has triggered a cascading effect in the domestic setup; he was initially scheduled to travel with the India A squad to Sri Lanka as vice-captain. To fill the vacancy left by Gaikwad in the ‘A’ system, selectors have called up RCB batter Rajat Patidar, handing him a golden opportunity to play his way back into national contention.

Compounding India’s top-order concerns, captain Rohit Sharma is also racing against time to clear a fitness test following his own hamstring struggles during the twilight phase of the IPL, leaving the team management with crucial leadership and tactical decisions to make before the first ball is bowled against Afghanistan.

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