Virat Kohli's behind-the-scenes role in RCB's title charge leaves teammate stunned: 'Didn't expect it'

Although he didn’t play a full game, he spent plenty of time as a substitute on the field, and countless hours training alongside the likes of Virat Kohli. While certain sects say he wasted his time during the early parts of the County Championship by holding bench for INR 75 lakh in India, Cox argued he wouldn’t swap it for the world.

"If you haven't been around this competition, you don't know what it's like," Cox said to ESPNcricinfo following the IPL. "It's life-changing… Why would you not go over and learn from the best?"

This was a refrain also held by Cox’s other England and RCB teammate, Jacob Bethell, who ultimately did get a few chances for RCB. Already an England international in the white ball formats who was due a Test cap before a pair of unfortunate injuries, Cox’s time spent with someone like Kohli would certainly be valuable – and for him, it was premium access to a player ready to talk cricket at all hours of the day.

"He will give you every single bit of information he has in his brain to try and help you, which for me was something that I didn't expect…” said Cox regarding his friendship with Kohli. “For someone like that who's achieved everything you'd want to achieve in the game, he gives you everything.”

"I've been lucky enough to bat with VK a few times in the nets, which has been pretty awesome. Even batting with Salty, someone that's been the No. 1-ranked T20 batter in the world, to learn different types of shots and types of opportunities to take down bowling: I feel like my game [against] spin has gone to another level now,” stated Cox, referencing his England teammate Phil Salt.

Test cricket does remain the pinnacle, but playing in the IPL was a ‘dream’, and an opportunity to share a dressing room with some of the best players in the world across disciplines – something the 25-year-old Englishman couldn’t turn down.

"The IPL's the marquee competition in the world. Test cricket's the biggest thing, and I really want to give it a good crack. But the things I've learned here and the calibre of players that are here is something that, at that moment in time, I just couldn't turn down… It was a dream come true, really, just to be in an IPL team,” concluded Cox, who will soon join the England Lions for some tour games.

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