“Kicked Out After Coffee”: Jemimah Rodrigues’ Warm Story Of Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma And A Four-Hour Chat

When a simple request for batting advice turned into a four-hour heart-to-heart, even a New Zealand café had to step in and close the chapter. India batter Jemimah Rodrigues has shared a wholesome, unheard tale featuring Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma that began with cricket talk and ended with staff politely asking the group to leave after closing time. It’s a story that shows the easy warmth Kohli shares with India’s women cricketers—and the kind of encouragement that lingers far beyond nets and scorecards.

How the meeting began

It started on a New Zealand tour, with both the men’s and women’s teams staying at the same hotel. Jemimah and Smriti Mandhana reached out to Kohli for a chat on batting. He didn’t hesitate—“Please come”—and suggested they meet at the hotel café. Anushka joined them, and the first 30 minutes stayed strictly about cricket: technique, preparation, and the mental shape a batter keeps on long tours.

“You can change women’s cricket”

At some point, the conversation unlocked something bigger. Jemimah recalls Kohli’s words as a challenge and a blessing: “You both have the power to change women’s cricket. I can see that happening.” It’s the sort of message that reframes responsibility—inspiring without overwhelming. From there, the cricket talk dissolved into life talk, the way it does among friends who’ve earned each other’s trust. The foursome kept chatting—about the game, then beyond it—until they lost track of the clock.

The café closes, the lesson stays

Hours passed. The café staff finally came over: “That’s it, it’s done now. It’s 11:30, you need to leave.” Jemimah laughs about it now—how coffee turned into a marathon sit-down capped by a gentle eviction. What sticks is the tone of the night: a superstar couple making time, two rising batters taking notes, and a conversation that moved from footwork to faith and back again.

Why this story resonates now

Kohli has stepped away from T20Is and Tests and is set to return in the Australia ODI series, but his shadow over Indian cricket is larger than selection bulletins. He remains a reference point—for process, for hunger, and for how he lifts those around him. For Jemimah and Smriti, that café meeting wasn’t networking; it was mentorship dressed as a coffee catch-up, the kind that anchors a season and sometimes a career.

A quiet reminder of the culture India is building

The tale also hints at a broader culture: men’s and women’s players sharing spaces, ideas, and standards. The best teams keep their doors—and minds—open. On a different night, it might have been throwdowns or video edits. That evening, it was conversation. The café closed. The connection didn’t.