England batter Haseeb Hameed has spoken from the heart about the role India legend Virat Kohli has played in his career. The Nottinghamshire opener, who is enjoying a strong County Championship season, said Kohli has always been there for him whenever he needed help. Hameed praised Kohli’s kindness and said the Indian star had helped him through some tough phases in his career.
Hameed made his Test debut during England’s 2016 tour of India, a high-profile series that saw a teenage Hameed opening the batting in one of the toughest environments in world cricket.
He scored a half-century in Rajkot but his tour was cut short due to a finger injury. It was during this tough phase that Virat Kohli reached out to the youngster with words of comfort and genuine support.
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Haseeb Hameed Reveals Virat Kohli’s Role in His Growth
In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Hameed said Kohli reached out to him back then at the time of his injury and stayed in touch since. He recalled how Kohli gave him his number and told him to feel free to reach out whenever needed. That moment has stayed with Hameed and he remains grateful for it.
"Virat Kohli has been super helpful. Every time I've had any sort of query about batting, he's happy to go as long as we need. I've got a lot of respect for him, always had. In terms of what he's done for me as a person, as a player, through my difficult moments, it speaks a lot about him as a character, his humility and the way he goes about things," Hammed said as quoted to Hindustan Times.
"On that first tour (in 2016), when I had my injury, he was kind enough to spare me a few moments. He shared his number with me and said, ’If ever you want to reach out, please feel free to do so’. That just speaks to what an incredible person (he is). He's probably the biggest superstar in the game, maybe ever, if you look at his social media following. For him to be so willing to give his time and personal space -- he didn't need to do that. I was a young kid, 19 years old. But the fact that he was so willing and able to do it is testament to his character," he added.
When asked about how quickly Kohli responds to messages even today, Hameed smiled before saying:
"I’ll say it like this. He's much better than a few other players in responding, especially for the calibre of person and player that he is. You'd think that he's super busy, right? I'm sure it takes a little bit of effort for him to reach back and reply to someone like me. But he's always been willing to do that; hopefully, that continues."
Haseeb Hameed’s Red-Ball Resurgence
Now 28, Hameed is looking to work his way back into England’s Test side. He has been in good form in the County Championship Division-I 2025. He has scored 848 runs in 16 innings at an average of 70.67.
This strong run follows a solid 2024 season, where he scored more than 1,000 runs in Division 1. If he keeps up his form, a national comeback might not be too far away.
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