'Virat is still the same as me as he was 10-15 years before' - Piyush Chawla on his relationship with Virat Kohli

Former India spinner Piyush Chawla recently opened up about his long-standing friendship with star batter Virat Kohli and spoke about the recent comments made by former spinner Amit Mishra on the former India skipper. 

Mishra, who was once close to Kohli during their early days in cricket, recently voiced his concerns about the impact fame and power have had on their relationship.

Mishra expressed that the camaraderie they once enjoyed has faded, citing that the 35-year-old has now become a global icon and has grown distant and is not the same person he used to be. He recalled that the younger Kohli would indulge in samosas and pizzas without a care for the world.

“I have seen Virat change a lot. We had almost stopped talking. When you get fame and power, they think people are reaching out to them for a purpose. I was never one of those. I have known Cheeku since the time he was 14 when he used to eat Samosas, and when he needed Pizza every night," said Mishra on Shubhankar Mishra's show.

Also read: Basit Ali lauds Virat Kohli for completing 16 years in international cricket

It has been a very good experience with me: Piyush Chawla

Meanwhile, Chawla responded to Mishra’s statements with a contrasting narrative. According to Chawla, Kohli remains grounded and has not let success change his core personality.

“Virat Kohli is still the same as me as he was 10-15 years before. My experience with him is always good, and I share a great camaraderie," said Chawla in the 2Sloggers Podcast.

Also read: Piyush Chawla remembers Kevin Pietersen's welcome on international debut

The 35-year-old went on to share a light-hearted moment from the recent Asia Cup, where Kohli while fielding at the boundary, approached him to discuss ordering food, which reminded Chawla of their old days. 

“In fact, when I was doing commentary during the Asia Cup 2023 and I was standing on the boundary, and Virat was fielding there, he came to me and said, ‘PC, let's order something good.' Because we were both fond of eating. So, even today, there are similar discussions that used to happen 10-15 years ago. It has been a very good experience with me," he concluded.