Two Questions With Virat Kohli

Welcome to Twenty Two Yards, a weekly newsletter celebrating cricket's culture and characters.

In this issue:

• Two Questions with Virat Kohli

• Cricket Gambling on the rise

• Gill gets fined after WTC Final

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Two Questions With Virat Kholi

It's a surreal feeling, sitting in a stadium with 80,000+ fans around you; it's the biggest football game in the world with the best talent right before your eyes…yet all you can think about for the entirety of the match is one man sitting directly behind you.

But then, Virat Kohli isn't an ordinary man.

10 days before the FA Cup Final, I received several cryptic messages from a colleague offering two corporate box tickets to the game - that would have been enough to make my day/week/month - before following up with…

"You know your cricket, right?"

…knowing full well of Twenty Two Yards and bearing witness to some of my underwhelming performances in past games…

"Who's Virat Kohli?"

He knew precisely who Virat Kohli was.

It transpired Virat Kohli was in London ahead of this week's WTC Final, and he was attending the FA Cup Final (with his wife Anushka Sharma) courtesy of PUMA, and I could get a seat at the same table.

Fast track those 10 days, and I'm sitting on the London Underground heading towards Wembley Park station. On the overheated & crowded Tube carriage, I wondered what the perfect question to ask Virat would be. What would you ask him? What should you ask him? Do I go for relevance and touch on the WTC Final in the coming days? Should I ask him something so simple it appeals to his human side - like what guard he takes at the crease? Or should I go left field and find out how he makes a traditional cup of tea?

I arrive with my colleague in good time. We get shown to the hospitality box - Pitch View West - and discover we're the first at our table. Bit keen.

2 hours 30 mins until kick-off - Guests from our table arrived. Just corporate folk who thrive off small talk.

2 hours 15 mins until KO — The small talk has moved to Virat's attendance. Turns out no one else on the table is a cricket fan. I take that as a small win.

1 hour 30 mins until KO — First plate of food. The second beer of the day. No sign of Virat. PUMA suits are regularly checking in with one another on his progress. Sounds like his departure from the hotel is delayed.

1hr until KO - Second plate of food. No third beer just yet - don't want to embarrass myself. PUMA suits look worried.

30mins until KO - PUMA suits have huddled, talking in hush tones…news is spreading around the table that Virat and his wife haven't left for their 40-minute journey. He's going to miss the kick-off. F*ck it, third beer.

10 mins until KO - We head to our seats to watch the pre-match ceremony. Virat and his wife will be sitting in the seats directly behind us.

KO - Man City go one nil up after 14 seconds with an incredible goal. A welcome distraction, even as a United fan.

15 mins after KO - The game has settled. I'm trying not to turn around whenever there's movement behind me. Play it cool.

20 mins after KO - There's movement. My colleague next to me turns round, whispers in my ear… "Here he is". I pause…play it cool...casually turn my head half-circle so as not to stare, and get a glimpse of a man in clean white trainers, smart/casual black trousers and a tanned oversized suede bomber jacket. I can't make out the detail but recognise the unmistakable and impeccable facial hair and a well-groomed 'mohawk'. Here he is, indeed. I don't turn around for the rest of the half, but I can hear Virat and Anushka reacting to the game.

42 mins after KO — United score. For a split second, I forget where I am and whose presence I'm in to stand up to celebrate, pumping my fist like you're meant to. A few Man City fans spot me and a few other over-excited United fans and quickly put us in our place. You couldn't hear them over the stadium noise – but I didn't need a lipreader to help understand where they wanted me to go.

The Half Time whistle blows. This is it. 15 minutes at a table with Virat and his wife, Anushka. I still don't know what I'm going to ask.

We take our seats. Virat has received an espresso. Classy. Then a familiar face sits down next to him, no one paying him any attention. It's Shubman Gill—this year's best player at the IPL.

After a few minutes of polite staring and empty conversations with my colleague – Virat, Anushka and Shubman are huddled together with their small entourage - a PUMA suit makes the first move and opens the conversation by asking Anushka about her love for sport. She loves football and brings Virat into play by stating it's only their second live game they've seen. Their first was El Clasico in ____ - Virat speaks for the first time. Perfect English, calm & collected, but with enthusiasm. He reveals that was when they first got together, and the game was. All eyes are on Virat now. He has the metaphorical floor.

Now's the time to turn up. I take a deep breath and speak before anyone else can. Start with an obvious question, something to keep the ongoing conversation flowing.

"So, who are you supporting today?"

Virat smiles… he's been prepared for this one…

He talks about his love of Cristiano Ronaldo, so supporting Manchester United was a by-product of his time there. However, now he's left the club (and with Virat, himself being a PUMA-sponsored athlete), he confirms he's here today to support the blue half of Manchester before going on to talk about his admiration of their style of play and the team's leading light, Pep Guardiola.

As Virat went on to talk about his interest in strategy within football and the tactics involved, the topic turns, for the first time, towards cricket as a PUMA suit, asking how it compares to the (real) beautiful game…

"Well, cricket is a little different – you can't get too caught up in strategy because it's so unpredictable. The game can change in one ball."

He elaborates on all the variables when playing the game – change of bowlers, field positions, weather, pitch degradation (I bite my tongue) etc., etc.

I sense my opportunity for a second question…

"How do you think Dravid compares to a coach like Pep?"

Virat smiles again…maybe he recognises a cricket fan amongst suits…or maybe because…

"He's a little different. More traditional. More old schoo-"

Before Virat can elaborate, he gets a tap on his shoulder from one of his entourage. Our 15 minutes is up. The second half is about to begin.

Despite getting that precious time with cricket's biggest star – and third, most followed athlete on Instagram – the second half continued to be a distraction. City score and go on to win the Final. Virat and Anushka love every minute – Shubman remains cool, calm and collected. Only a couple of fans in front of us have recognised Virat and got some long-distance selfies. I wonder how different it would be if we were in India and his presence alongside his partner and cricket's future superstar was uncovered…

The final whistle blows, and we all stand up and celebrate to get some last pictures and videos of the scenes. Sensing my time with Virat & co will quickly run out, I position myself at the end of his row to get the customary selfie that Virat kindly obliges. He's then ushered inside to our table for some final PUMA promo autographs before being whisked away by his team through the swinging doors.

For the first time that day, I finally relaxed. And, as a United fan, the 2-1 loss in a Cup Final against your biggest rivals starts to sink in.

Cricket Gambling On The Rise

As the WTC Final unfolded on Day Four, your pulse raced if you had a wager at stake. The enigmatic snag by Cameron Green stirred doubt—was it a catch? Such moments can shift the tides and the weight of fortunes.

Cricket gambling isn't exactly a novel thrill, though now prominently on display. Let's not kid ourselves. It's an ever-present age-old pursuit, only now demanding your attention.

The Big ⅔
In Australia and the UK, cricket betting stands authorised, whether in person or online. As regulations encroach, new rules will soon govern operators and curtail sponsorships for sporting leagues and teams.

While international cricket is poised to witness a surge in gambling sponsorships following relaxed ICC guidelines, the ECB staunchly refuses their presence. This rigid stance may owe its origins to a 2020 YouGov poll, exposing a staggering 27% of UK cricket enthusiasts admitted to placing bets on the game within a year.

For India, however, the spectre of betting looms large - as one Redditor highlights how it's "growing like a cancer among the Indian youth." It might not be legal, but you can bet they're betting. Biggest population + beloved sport = 370 million potential and 140 million active bettors.

A massive spike in cricket betting
In 2015, Patrick Jay, VP and head of the sportsbook at theScore, said that a conservative estimate of the worldwide sports gambling industry was $3 trillion, with cricket taking a share of 12% ($300M). Fast-forward to 2022, and just in the UK alone - an estimated £760 million was bet on cricket at online sportsbooks.

What's fueling the rise? 

1. Expanding calendar: The international cricket calendar has numerous bilateral series, high-profile tournaments like the ICC World Cup, T20 leagues, and multi-nation contests. The sheer number of matches and events creates an ideal environment for betting opportunities… or fake leagues.

2. Online betting platforms: The widespread availability of online betting has revolutionised the industry. These platforms offer a user-friendly interface, secure transactions, and a wide range of betting options within a few taps of your phone.

3. Increased coverage and analysis: Bettors can access comprehensive match previews, player statistics, team forms, and historical data to make more informed wagers.

4. Inclusion of women's cricket: The popularity of women's cricket has also contributed to the rise in betting. As the women's game garners more attention, betting markets have expanded to include matches and tournaments, attracting a broader audience of bettors.

No Biggie with Bookies?
When your favourite sport has a top-10 list of match-fixing scandals, it's clear how impactful gambling is. While Australia, the UK, and the US have legalised sports betting and have seen the money pour in, the purity of sports has been questioned.

Despite the negatives, as we've seen repeatedly in cricket - money is king. When ad spends on IPL have fallen by 20% due to the absence of categories like betting and crypto, it's only a matter of time before the entire Big 3 comes to bat for the bookies.

The Slip Corden

• Gill fined for social posts
  When Schubman Gill is posting thirst traps, he’s posting magnifying glasses on the questionable catch by Cameron Green. Gill was fined 15% of his match fee.
  

• Asia Cup goes hybrid
  After a long-standing argument between Pakistan and India, the PCB has agreed to do a hybrid tournament. Played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Asia Cup is tentatively set to kick-off on the 2nd of September.

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