Duffy reflects on time with Kohli in IPL 2026
What's the story
New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy has spoken highly of Indian cricketing superstar Virat Kohli, calling him "down to earth" despite his megastar status. The two players shared the same dressing room during IPL 2026 when Duffy was a part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The Kiwi bowler recalled his time with Kohli and expressed excitement about facing him again in the upcoming ODI series.
Player camaraderie
Duffy impressed by Kohli's humility
Duffy was impressed by Kohli's humility and approachability, especially given his status as a "religious figure" in India.
"For such a religious figure, I guess you almost say, in India - he's obviously a megastar over there - for him to be so down-to-earth and sort of welcome all us overseas guys in RCB was pretty cool," Duffy said during a media interaction in Auckland on Sunday.
The New Zealand pacer also appreciated the Indian cricketer for being welcoming toward overseas players during their time at RCB.
Tactical discussions
Tactical chats with Kohli during IPL
During his time at RCB, Duffy had many tactical chats with Kohli about playing on Indian pitches.
He said, "We talk a lot about fine details. We talk about certain wickets back in India."
The Kiwi pacer also revealed that he often bowled to Kohli in the nets as they both were usually the first ones up - him as a bowler and Kohli as a batter.
"It'll be awesome to play against him now that I've sort of shared a changing room with him as well."
Format transition
Duffy excited about ODI series against India
Duffy has had a rollercoaster ride in T20I cricket, but is now looking forward to switching formats and bowling in ODIs.
He stressed the importance of this series ahead of next year's ODI World Cup in South Africa.
The New Zealand pacer said he enjoys ODI cricket because it gives him a chance to bowl with swinging balls at the start and then shift gears toward the end.