In a recent chat with tennis sensation Sania Mirza, the well-known Indian filmmaker and Bollywood figure Karan Johar revealed that he won’t be inviting ace cricketer Virat Kohli to his hit talk show, Koffee With Karan. The last time cricketers graced the show was back in 2019, when Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul made their appearances in the season opener. Karan had a lively discussion with Sania, the talented tennis player from India. After covering a range of topics, they dove into a rapid-fire segment where Sania asked Karan about celebrities who have turned him down. He mentioned the charming actor Ranbir Kapoor, explaining that while Ranbir had been on the show before, he hasn’t returned in the last three seasons. When Sania brought up Virat Kohli, Karan hesitated for a moment before admitting that he hasn’t reached out to the former Indian captain since the fallout from the episode featuring Hardik and Rahul. Here is what Karan said as quoted by The Times of India: “I have never asked Virat. And now, I’m not asking any cricketers after what happened with Hardik and Rahul,” Also Read | Sanju Samson to Join CSK? RR and CSK in Talks Over Shocking Player Exchange For those who might not remember, that infamous 2019 episode stirred quite a controversy after Hardik faced significant backlash for his comments, which many deemed sexist and inappropriate. The media and public were quick to react, leading to public apologies and temporary suspensions for the players from the Board of Control for Cricket in India. During the uproar, even Kohli, who was the team captain at the time, distanced himself from the remarks made on the show. He made it clear that the Indian team did not support such views. Since that incident, Karan has steered clear of inviting cricketers onto his show. As for the players, while Rahul recently participated in a three-match ODI series against Australia, Hardik had to sit out due to a left quadriceps injury he sustained during an Asia Cup 2025 match in the UAE. India is gearing up for an all-format series against South Africa at home next.