Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa found India captain Virat Kohli to be a very chilled-out guy during their time together in IPL 2020. Zampa was part of the Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad in the recently concluded IPL 13.
Kohli had sent Zampa a WhatsApp message on his first day with RCB this year, which the latter didn't recognize. It was a USD 15 off voucher from a vegan restaurant from Deliveroo and he later found out it was Virat.
"It was the first day I arrived (and) he WhatsApped me 'Zamps, here's the USD 15 off voucher at a vegan restaurant from Deliveroo. It's a really good restaurant'. I didn't have his number. He made it as if we've known each other forever," Zampa told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Zampa formed a good connection with Kohli over his interaction during meat-free eating, coffee, and cricket. In fact, Virat has agreed to be the first guest on his podcast.
"He's absolutely not what you see on the cricket field. He always brings his intensity to training and game; he loves competition, he hates losing as much as anyone. He probably shows it more than anyone," Zampa said.
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"Once he's off the park, he's the most chilled guy. He's watching YouTube clips on the bus, he'll laugh out loud."
The 28-year-old shared about his conversations with Kohli and said, "He's a really cultured guy. He's good to talk to, good fun. The one thing you take away from spending time with those guys is they're as much of a human being as you are.
"One night he took me aside and talked to me about his travels through Nepal. He's always talking to me about his new coffee machine. He's a pretty normal bloke."
Zampa, who is part of the limited-overs squad against India, has got Virat out seven times. "I've got him out seven times, but they're at a good click; the economy is well and truly over six runs per over as well. It'll be interesting now we're closer," he said.
"I love the challenge of bowling to Virat. He's probably the best player of all time. You see he has 43 hundreds or whatever it is and you go, 'Wow, he's a big wicket, he's superhuman', but at the end of the day you're spending so much time around these guys," Zampa added.
"They go through their own emotions. They're living the bubble life away from home, they're all as human as you are and make as many mistakes as I do or anyone else."
(With Sydney Morning Herald Inputs)
