Karan Johar Breaks Silence on Why Virat Kohli Never Came on Koffee With Karan

Karan Johar has finally opened up about why Virat Kohli never made it to his celebrity talk show Koffee With Karan.

In a candid chat with Sania Mirza on Myntra’s Glam Stream, the filmmaker revealed that he has consciously decided to stay away from inviting cricketers ever since the infamous Hardik Pandya–KL Rahul controversy.

Karan said he never approached Kohli for the show and has no plans to do so in the future.

“I have never asked Virat. And now, I am not asking any cricketers after what happened with Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul,” he said.

Johar also admitted that he felt personally responsible for the controversy that followed the 2019 episode, which landed both players in serious trouble with the BCCI.

“I have to say that I feel very responsible because it was my show and my platform. I invited them as guests, and so the ramifications and repercussions of the show are my responsibility,” he added.

The episode in question had sparked massive outrage after Hardik Pandya made a few offensive comments about women and his lifestyle, which were widely criticised as sexist and disrespectful.

The backlash led to both Pandya and Rahul being suspended temporarily and fined Rs 20 lakh each by the BCCI.

The controversy also forced the players to publicly apologise. KL Rahul later said that the incident was a turning point in his career, while Hardik admitted he was carried away during the show.

Since then, Karan Johar has avoided inviting any cricketers to Koffee With Karan, even as fans have long speculated about seeing stars like Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma on the couch.