England cricketer Alex Lees has shared insights about his banter with Indian star Virat Kohli during the final Test of the series at Edgbaston in July 2022. Despite his limited international experience, Lees revealed that Kohli was trying to assert his dominance. He explained that Kohli was sledging Lees’ teammates and behaving in an unpleasant manner.

Not one to remain silent, Alex Lees, in light of Virat Kohli’s relatively poor recent form and the absence of a century for over two years, seized the opportunity to sledge him with the classic line, “I’ve had two kids since you last scored a century.” Speaking to the Telegraph, Lees explained, “Because I was an inexperienced international, he was attempting to assert himself. It was not very clever cricket banter. He was simply continuing in a manner he occasionally adopts. He had been getting on people’s nerves in the field while batting.”

Alex Lees regards Virat Kohli as a fierce competitor who is determined to win

Alex Lees also discussed his banter with Virat Kohli and praised the Indian batsman’s competitiveness. He mentioned that the best response to Kohli would have been to score a century in a winning cause.

Lees said, “He is just a human, and I knew it must be playing on his mind, which was likely the thing that would irritate him the most. Once I had a word with him, he seemed to lose his composure, especially when we resumed play after tea. He’s a competitor; he has a strong desire to win. I may never fully grasp the immense pressure of representing a billion people, but you can still be competitive without losing your temper. I knew I had gotten to him. The biggest disappointment for me was that I reached 56 and then got run out. The ultimate comeback would have been to score an unbeaten century and win the game, but I didn’t get the opportunity.”