Would love to play some cricket with Virat, planning India visit in near future: Djokovic
Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic has said he would love to play cricket with Virat Kohli during a planned visit to India, revealing that the two have been in touch and expressing his admiration for the former India captain.
Kohli, along with his wife and actor Anushka Sharma, watched Djokovic’s fourth-round win over Alex de Minaur at Wimbledon last year and later praised the Serb on social media, calling him a “gladiator”.
Speaking on JioStar, Djokovic said: “I would love to play some cricket and tennis with Virat Kohli. I am planning to visit India in the near future, and we have been communicating about it. I know Virat is a global star, but especially in India, he is incredible. I would love for him to be my host and show me around. I have a lot of respect for him and for Indian cricket.
“Cricket is not big in Serbia, where I come from. But some of the people in my team are British, and they love cricket. So I have been learning about the game over the last 10 to 15 years. I still need to work on my cricketing skills. Maybe Virat can help me with my technique and bat swing. But seriously, I have great respect and admiration for him. I would love to get the chance to meet him in his home country India,” he added.
The 38-year-old also reflected on his deep connection with Wimbledon after scripting another milestone on Sunday. With a 7-6(6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win over Roman Safiullin, Djokovic surpassed Roger Federer’s record of 105 men’s singles victories at the Championships to reach his ninth successive Wimbledon quarter-final and the 17th overall.
“A lot of my legacy is built on what I have achieved here at Wimbledon. I’ve said it many times, and I’ve always been open about it. This was the tournament I dreamed of winning as a child. I always wanted to do well here, always wanted to win Wimbledon and become world number one. I was blessed to experience that in 2011. And then, to go on and win the tournament seven times in total and play in so many finals, it has been an incredible journey.
“For some reason, I have always managed to bring out the best tennis of my life on this grass surface, especially on Centre Court. The energy, the history, the atmosphere – it all brings something extra out of me. I don’t take these opportunities for granted. To still be able to write my own history and the history of the sport, to still be performing at this level and be in another quarter-final, it means a lot. Hopefully, I can go at least a few more steps further this year.”
Djokovic will next face either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the quarter-finals, with a potential semi-final against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner looming.
