Former India captain Virat Kohli and his actor-wife Anushka Sharma's requests related to the Cricket World Cup triggered a meme fest on X, previously known as Twitter.

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Hours ahead of the start of the ICC World Cup, talismanic India batter Virat Kohli dropped a humble request to his relatives and friends, urging them not to disturb him with pleas for tickets during the quadrennial event.

India will start their bid to lift their third ODI World Cup title following previous triumphs in 1983 and 2011 with a tense encounter against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on October 8.

Following the Men in Blue's outing against Australia will be the blockbuster clash against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14.

With the Indian cricket team hoping to end their decade-long trophy drought in ICC events, given that they haven't won anything since capturing the Champions Trophy crown in England in 2013, Virat Kohli wants to remain focused on the task at hand, humbly requesting the public to watch the tournament from home and not bug him with ticket requests.

“As we approach the World Cup, I would humbly like to let all my friends know to not request me for tickets all through the tournament. Enjoy from your homes please,” Virat Kohli posted on Instagram.

Following Virat Kohli's request, Anushka Sharma shared the former's social media post on her handle, writing: “And let me just add… please don't request me to help if your messages go unanswered. Thank you for your understanding.”

Anushka Sharma's message on the popular photo and video-sharing platform exemplified the trouble the fans face in laying their hands on a World Cup ticket, especially in India.

Securing tickets for World Cup games, especially for Team India's matches, has been a nightmare for the public.

It happened because the official ticketing partner for the 2023 edition of the World Cup, BookMyShow, faced severe technical issues as millions of fans accessed the website to book tickets within hours of their availability.

Subsequently, the International Cricket Council (ICC) implemented a staggered ticket-issuing process. The sale of tickets for cricket's greatest spectacle officially commenced on August 25, while tickets for India's games were made available from August 31.

On the other hand, tickets for the marquee fixture between India and Pakistan began selling on September 3.

However, Virat Kohli is not the only cricketer flooded with ticket requests from friends and acquaintances.

Former India cricketers, including spin legend Harbhajan Singh, 2011 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh, and retired fast bowler Ashish Nehra, have all stated in public that they had to grapple with ticket requests from friends, especially during India-Pakistan matches.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli's childhood coach, Raj Kumar Sharma, praised his ward for devoting his life to cricket before emphasizing that the former India captain would be eager to lift another World Cup trophy come November.

“Sachin Tendulkar was a genius who inspired thousands of youngsters to look at cricket as a career. Virat followed in his footsteps by working very hard with the devotion of a master craftsman. I call him a craftsman because he has set new benchmarks and crafted one great innings after another every year,” Raj Kumar Sharma told an Indian sports outlet.

“Virat never came late for the nets. He looked after his gear so well. He would not like stains on his pads and bats. He was always anxious to dominate. I worried for him sometimes when he insisted on playing in the senior group. I had to admonish him a few times, but then I realized he was ready to take guard at the next level. I gradually promoted him to play with the big boys, and he was soon towering above them with some amazingly consistent performances,” he added.

“He wanted to do everything: bat, bowl, and field. During a local under-15 game at the Picnic Hut ground, he was 12, and our team was in a spot of trouble, chasing a total of 220-230. He said, ‘Let me bat up the order, sir'… So, we promoted him, and he took us over the line by scoring a century. We won comfortably. Even though he always batted at no. 4, he'll pad up with the openers and will restlessly wait for his turn to go in,” Raj Kumar Sharma recalled.

“I remember a session we had before the tour to England in 2019. He had failed on the previous trip in 2014 [134 runs in five Tests]. I organized a grassy pitch and got hold of some bowlers who swung the ball well. We focused on how to leave the ball. I also advised him not to try and play every ball, as is his habit,” the reputed cricket coach revealed.

“He can produce his own batting manual on how to play the big innings. He has done it innumerable times. His 82 not out against Pakistan in Melbourne [2022 T20 World Cup] should rank as the best by an Indian in the modern era. What pressure and what a tremendous response from Virat. He is a case study in producing match-winning shows,” Raj Kumar Sharma asserted.