It was surreal not to be recognised for two months

Kohli had missed the five-match Test series against England as he was overseas for the birth of his second child. The long break allowed him to spend much needed quality time with his family and not being recognised on the streets was something that he enjoyed the most.

“We were not in the country. We were at a place where people were not recognising us. Just time together as a family, just to feel normal for two months. For me, for us as a family, it was a surreal experience.

“Of course, having two kids, things become totally different from a family perspective. So just the ability to be together, the connections that you make with your older child, it’s amazing.

“I mean, I couldn’t have been more grateful to God for the opportunity that I got to spend time with my family.”

For Kohli, not being mobbed is a luxury and he loved every bit of his time away from the limelight.

“And yeah, just the place that we were in, I was telling the guys (RCB teammates) that when we came back, the voices back home felt that much louder.

“I couldn’t look up because I was just not used to being called my name for two months. And then immediately you hear these loud noises and then you’re back in it all again.

“But it was beautiful. It’s an amazing experience to just be another person on the road and not be recognised and just carry on about life that normally people would on a daily basis,” he said.

Kohli is also forever grateful to the loyal and passionate RCB fans who keep backing the team that is yet to win the IPL.

“It’s been going on for years and you know, people talk about a lot of other things when you play sport. The achievements, the stats, the numbers. Look at the end of the day when you look back you’re not going to think of the numbers and the stats.

“It’s the memories that you create. Famously, Rahul bhai (India head coach) in the change room nowadays says exactly the same to us. When you play, you play your heart out because you’re going to miss these times when you’re with your friends in the change room playing in front of fans.

“So the relationship that’s happened organically over so many years it’s something that I can never ever forget. Just the love and the appreciation and the backing I’ve received for so many years that’s been amazing,” Kohli added.