Overview
- On Saturday Djokovic said he and Kohli have texted for years, have never met in person, and that he hopes to visit India to play some tennis and some cricket with the Indian batter.
- Kohli delivered a match-defining innings to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru retain the IPL 2026 title but suffered a hamstring injury in the final that forced him out of the subsequent ODI series against Afghanistan.
- Kohli has been seen at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence undergoing mandated fitness tests and his selection for upcoming white-ball tours is conditional on passing those assessments with no fixed return date.
- No face-to-face meeting has been confirmed; Djokovic's comments are public statements made at Wimbledon and any crossover session will hinge on his travel plans and Kohli's recovery and clearance.
- Both men are global sports icons and Djokovic has previously said Kohli sparked his interest in cricket, so a cleared meeting would be a high-profile cross-sport moment that would draw strong fan and media attention.