Virat Kohli-led Team India is all set for the tough tour of Australia in which they will lock horns with the hosts in three T20Is, four Tests and three ODIs.
The T20I series is starting from Wednesday (November 21). Meanwhile, the Australian speedster Mitchell Starc has some good words about Kohli as he says the Indian skipper is a nice guy off the field and is sometimes misread by people due to his competitive nature.
Earlier in 2017, India came out with flying colours by winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1. However, the series caught a huge amount of limelight due to the on-field feud between Kohli and the entire Australian team. After the series win, Kohli had said that he would never consider Aussie players as friends again.
“I don’t get that feeling at all. We had some good battles on the field through that series, all in good fun and had a few laughs about it and caught up after one of the Test matches,” Starc said as quoted by cricket.com.au.
I’m sure I’ll have a few chats with him over this series and share a laugh and chat about the series once it’s done,” he added.
Starc observed Kohli closely when he shared Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) dressing room with him during the Indian Premier League (IPL). According to the 28-year-old paceman, Kohli is a completely different man away from the cricket field.
“I got to know him a fair bit off the field and I think probably know him a bit better than some of my Australian teammates. (They) obviously only see them on the cricket field and the general public see what a competitor he is and how much he loves the challenge of performing home and away and to be one of the best players in the world.
“I’ve got to see a bit off the field, where he’s very different. (He’s) such a nice guy off the field, he’s got a lot of time for everyone and just loves to be part of the boys, whether its playing FIFA or being around the team room,” Starc said.
Recently, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Starc ahead of the IPL 2019 auction. The contract of the left-arm fast bowler, who was one of the most expensive bowlers in the auctions last season, was ended via a text message.
