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Virat Kohli does not respond to rumours often. When he does it is usually because the claim is so far from reality that staying silent feels like the worse option.
On Sunday, March 22, a post circulated on social media claiming Kohli had asked Royal Challengers Bengaluru to provide him with chartered flights to travel between Bengaluru and London during IPL 2026 and that if the gap between two matches exceeded three days he would fly back to the UK.
The claim came from a portal called WorldInLast24Hrs and it arrived in the middle of a broader conversation that has been building around Kohli's decision to make London his primary residence. Kohli saw the post and had something to say about it.
Where the rumour came from and why it spread
Since the birth of his son Akaay in February 2024 Kohli and Anushka Sharma have been raising their children in the UK away from the media attention that follows the family in India.
Just two weeks ago Kohli was spotted walking down a quiet London street with Akaay in casual clothes with no entourage and no fuss. The clips circulated on social media for two days.
A second video then emerged showing Anushka walking behind them with their daughter Vamika. The whole family moving at an unhurried pace on an ordinary London street without a camera crew or security detail in sight.
That backdrop is what gave the chartered flight story its legs. Kohli living in London is not a rumour. Kohli wanting a quieter life for his children away from the spotlight is not a rumour.
The chartered flight demand was and on Sunday he responded on his Instagram story with two laughing emojis. The very fact that he chose to respond at all says enough about how he felt about the claim.
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The debate around Virat Kohli and London
The decision to base the family in London has attracted criticism from some quarters. A section of fans and former players have questioned the optics of one of India's most recognised cricketers spending extended periods abroad.
The debate around commitment and connection has come up on social media with some suggesting that long stays overseas create a distance between Kohli and the fans who have been with him since the beginning. The narrative around what a national icon owes the public has followed him through every London sighting.
Kohli in Bengaluru for RCB ahead of IPL 2026
Kohli recently returned to India from London and has joined the RCB training camp in Bengaluru. The defending champions open their title defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28. The London off-season is done and with that the chartered flight rumours have been dismissed and now IPL 2026 starts in six days.
