Chandigarh, March 22: Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has formally addressed and dismissed viral social media claims suggesting he requested chartered flight access to London during the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain utilized his Instagram account to label the reports as “fake news” after an unverified post alleged he sought special travel perks from team management.
The controversy began when an Instagram handle, @worldinlast24hrs, claimed that Kohli had asked RCB for the ability to fly to the United Kingdom during any break in the tournament exceeding three days. The post asserted that the cricketer intended to return to India only just before the next scheduled match. Kohli responded by sharing a screenshot of the claim on his Instagram story, accompanied by two laughing emojis to indicate the absurdity of the report.
“News so brutal even Kohli couldn’t resist fact-checking,” one social media user noted as the response went viral.
Following the cricketer’s direct intervention, the original account issued a clarification, acknowledging that the information was misleading and lacked verification. The handle further stated that the claim had originated from external sources and was not an accurate representation of Kohli’s professional requirements.
Team sources affirmed that Kohli is currently focused on the RCB training camp in Bengaluru ahead of the 2026 season opener on March 28. The veteran batter recently delivered a motivational address to his teammates, urging them to maintain the momentum that led to their maiden title last year.
“We must give our 120 per cent for these two and a half months,” Kohli declared during the session, emphasizing a commitment to the franchise’s title defense rather than personal travel plans.
