New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy has revealed that Virat Kohli’s humility and welcoming attitude surprised him most during their time together at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Despite being one of India’s biggest sporting stars, Kohli made a conscious effort to make overseas players feel comfortable in the dressing room, Duffy said.
The New Zealand pacer, who shared the dressing room with Kohli during RCB’s title-winning campaign earlier this year, is now looking forward to facing the Indian batting great as an opponent in the upcoming five-match ODI series between India and New Zealand, beginning on November 4 in Auckland.
Duffy said he was impressed by how approachable Kohli remained despite his enormous popularity in India. Recalling a recent interaction with the former India captain, the fast bowler said he had met him at the gym and found him welcoming. Duffy described Kohli as a megastar who nevertheless remained down-to-earth and ensured that overseas teammates felt included. He expressed appreciation for the way Kohli treated players within the RCB squad, adding that sharing a dressing room with the Indian batter had made the prospect of competing against him in international cricket particularly exciting. For Duffy, the upcoming series will offer an opportunity to test himself against a player whose preparation and approach he observed closely during the IPL season.
The New Zealand pacer also highlighted Kohli’s exceptional work ethic, recalling how the two regularly faced each other during RCB’s net sessions. According to Duffy, Kohli was consistently among the first batters to arrive for practice, while he was often the first bowler to begin his work. Their repeated encounters gave Duffy valuable opportunities to understand the Indian star’s batting habits, shot selection and preparation. Duffy said the experience was beneficial for both players because Kohli also gained familiarity with his bowling. With the two now preparing to represent opposing countries, their time together in Bengaluru could add an intriguing dimension to their contest during the ODI series.
Duffy further revealed that his conversations with Kohli extended beyond practice sessions to discussions about tactics and conditions in India. The Indian batter shared insights into how different pitches demand adjustments in bowling lines and lengths. Duffy said those conversations helped him understand how bowlers might adapt their plans to suit particular surfaces. Such exchanges offered the New Zealand fast bowler a perspective on Indian conditions from someone with extensive experience playing across the country. However, Duffy also acknowledged that Kohli had watched him bowl regularly during practice, meaning the Indian batter would enter the international contest with a clearer understanding of his methods. Their familiarity could make the individual battle an interesting feature of the upcoming series.
Duffy will also enter the ODI series after an eventful T20I campaign against India. The fast bowler endured a difficult outing in the third T20I, conceding 44 runs in two overs as India chased down a target of 199. He responded strongly in the fourth match, claiming four wickets for 23 runs as New Zealand defeated India by 87 runs. That performance provided a confidence boost ahead of the transition to the 50-over format. Duffy has said he enjoys ODI cricket because it presents different challenges across an innings, from using movement and hard lengths with the new ball to managing the demands of the closing overs. His recent performance also underlined his ability to recover after an expensive spell.
The five-match ODI series will be important for New Zealand as the team begins building towards the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. Duffy identified the tournament as a major priority and said the upcoming matches would help players strengthen their cases for selection. Having grown up watching the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, he described the competition as one of the highest honours in the sport. For Kohli, the series will provide another opportunity to contribute in the format in which he has built an outstanding international record. For Duffy, it will be a chance to turn his experience as Kohli’s IPL teammate into a competitive challenge on the international stage, with both players familiar with aspects of each other’s game.