With only a day left for the start of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, India’s star batter Virat Kohli made a humble request to his friends via social media.

Taking to Instagram, Kohli posted a story, urging his friends to not approach him for the tickets and instead enjoy the tournament from the comfort of their homes.

The quadrennial event, featuring 10 teams, will be played in India across 10 venues. Ahmedabad, Delhi, Dharamsala, Lucknow, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad will host the World Cup matches.

“As we approach the World Cup, I would humbly like to let all my friends know to not request me for tickets at all through the tournament. Enjoy from your homes pls,” Kohli wrote on his Instagram story.

In the past, a number of famous Indian cricketers have admitted to have received requests from friends and extended family members for tickets ahead of the marquee tournaments.

Kohli’s wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma also had a message for such friends on the eve of the World Cup opener.

Anushka shared the screenshot of Kohli’s post on her Instagram story and wrote: “and let me just add … please don’t request me to help if your messages get unanswered. Thank you for your understanding.”

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli reunited with the Indian squad in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday (October 3) after earlier flying to Mumbai due to personal reasons. He reportedly wouldn’t have taken part in India’s warm-up match against Netherlands had it not been abandoned due to rain.

Team India will begin their World Cup campaign against five-time champions Australia in Chennai on October 8.