NEW DELHI: Opening up his two-month break when he welcomed his second child alongside his wife Anushka, Virat Kohli revealed how he enjoyed not being treated like a celebrity during the hiatus.
Kohli skipped India's home Test series against England to spend some time with his family.
Kohli returned to the playing arena at the IPL 2024, but did not fire against Chennai Super Kings in the opener, but hit a match-winning 77 to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinch a four-wicket victory over Punjab Kings on Monday.
On his break, Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony, "We were not in the country. We were at a place where people were not recognising us. Just time together as a family, just to feel normal for two months. For me, for us as a family, it was a surreal experience... I couldn't have been more grateful to God for the opportunity that I got to spend time with my family."
"And yeah, just the place that we were in, I was telling the guys that when we came back, the voices back home felt that much louder," Kohli said. "I couldn't look up because I was just not used to being called my name for two months. And then immediately you hear these loud noises and then you're back in it all again.
"But it was beautiful. It's an amazing experience to just be another person on the road and not be recognised and just carry on about life that normally people would on a daily basis," he added.
1/10:Virat Kohli helps RCB beat Punjab Kings
PTI
2/10:Virat Kohli
<p>Kohli powered RCB to victory, smashing 77 with 11 fours and two sixes in a 49-ball blitz. His performance helped them chase down 177 runs with four balls to spare, bouncing back from their previous loss in the tournament opener.<br /></p>PTI
3/10:Mohammed Siraj
<p>Bengaluru chose to field first against Punjab. After Siraj dismissed Bairstow for eight runs, they continued to take regular wickets.<br /></p>PTI
4/10:Shikhar Dhawan
<p>Maxwell made a significant breakthrough by dismissing skipper Shikhar for 45 runs off 37 balls, including five fours and a six. At that point, PBKS was 98/4 in 12.1 overs.<br /></p>PTI
5/10:Curran and Jitesh
<p>Curran and Jitesh reached their 50-run partnership, taking the team to 150 runs in 17.4 overs. Dayal broke the partnership by dismissing Curran for 23 runs off 17 balls, including three fours. At that point, PBKS was 150/5 in 17.4 overs.<br /></p>AP
6/10:Shashank Singh
<p>In Joseph's last over, Shashank Singh smashed two sixes and a four. PBKS concluded their innings at 176/6, with Shashank unbeaten on 21* from eight balls, including a four and two sixes, while Harpreet Brar remained unbeaten on 2*.<br /></p>PTI
7/10:Kagiso Rabada
<p>Punjab's Kagiso Rabada made an early impact, dismissing skipper Faf du Plessis and Cameron Green, both for just three runs.<br /></p>PTI
8/10:Harpreet Brar
<p>Harpreet Brar shifted the momentum in PBKS's favor by dismissing Patidar (18) and Glenn Maxwell (3) in rapid succession.<br /></p>PTI
9/10:Virat Kohli
<p>Virat Kohli reached his 51st IPL fifty in just 31 balls. He also became the third batsman, following Chris Gayle and David Warner, to achieve 100 fifty-plus scores in T20 cricket.<br /></p>ANI
