Virat Kohli — the king of cricket. Fans lovingly call him King Kohli. Even the best bowlers in the world feel nervous in front of him. But the king is also human. Would you believe that this batter, who puts pressure on bowlers, sometimes feels like he doesn't even know how to play?

Former England captain Jos Buttler shared during a recent podcast that Kohli once told him he sometimes feels lost when he picks up the bat. Buttler said Kohli spoke openly about his insecurities and bad phases, especially during the IPL 2023 season, to help him manage his own expectations.

In a conversation with former England cricketer Stuart Broad on the 'For the Love of Cricket' podcast, Jos Buttler shared how Virat Kohli once helped him. At that time, Kohli also spoke about his insecurities as a batsman.

This happened in 2023. Just a year before, Buttler had scored 863 runs while playing for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. He became the third-highest run-scorer in a single season. The record for the most runs in one IPL season is held by Virat Kohli, who scored 973 runs. Shubman Gill is second with 890 runs. After his great performance in 2022, Buttler felt pressure to perform again. The pressure of expectations.

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During the podcast, Buttler said, “I scored 863 runs in the 2022 season, but the record of 973 runs is in his (Kohli’s) name. That’s amazing. I was very worried in the next season about how to live up to the expectations. Our training time and RCB’s training were the same. I have played a lot against Virat. He is very competitive, but I thought I would ask him a few questions. He had just finished his batting.”

Buttler said he asked Kohli how he handles expectations. He said, “Who else in world cricket has more expectations than you?” Kohli replied, “Maybe you had only that one great season. Accept it. Don’t try to repeat it. It’s okay. Life will be good.”

Buttler shared how Kohli gave his time and helped him. He was surprised by Kohli’s deep understanding. The former England captain said that Kohli even spoke about his own feelings and struggles. Buttler said, “Then he started telling me how sometimes he also feels unsure about his game. How he practices… He said sometimes he picks up the bat and feels like he doesn’t know how to play.”

Jos Buttler said - "I asked Virat Kohli about how to manage expectations and insecurities of all things. He helped me a lot. I was so thankful for his time and grateful for his insights and experience. Just amazed by the knowledge he had of my own game. He's generous and he's so… pic.twitter.com/wxfOX4Jk8C

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) June 17, 2025

Buttler added, “And he is one of the best players of our generation, especially in white-ball cricket. I was so thankful for his time and insights. I was amazed that he even understood my game and my work. He too is human. He said, ‘Sometimes I pick up the bat and feel like I don’t know how to play.’ I feel that a lot, so if he feels that too, then it’s okay.”

Now, Buttler plays for Gujarat Titans, who reached the playoffs in the 2025 season but lost in the Eliminator. On the other hand, Kohli’s RCB won their first IPL title by defeating Punjab Kings in the final.