Virat Kohli spoke on the calming influence families bring on players on away tours.
Virat Kohli’s emphasis on the value of having families accompany players on tours has reignited controversy around the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) recent stern decision on players. Virat Kohli is adamant that having family members nearby helps give athletes the emotional support they need, particularly when things become rough on the field.
After a long day on the field, the Indian batting legend has highlighted how coming home to the family brings a sense of balance that no other support system can match. Many people are unaware of the tremendous benefits this offers players, who are able to detach their personal lives from the demands of professional cricket, he said.
Recently, the BCCI put out new rules and diktats concerning Indian players after the Australia tour debacle, where India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 by a margin of 1-3. It was seen that players didn’t stay together or travel together, with stars like Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah traveling separately along with their families from the Indian team.
As per new rules, no player will be allowed to have a private conveyance during tours and even series in India. They will have to travel in the team bus along with the entire team, and their families will be with them for a limited time only.
I don’t think people have an understanding—Virat Kohli on BCCI’s family diktats
While discussing how the presence of loved ones actually creates a stable and positive mindset, Virat Kohli vehemently rejected the idea that separating families from the players is a solution for improved focus.
Family time, in his opinion, is an essential component of a cricket player’s well-being rather than a diversion since it keeps them psychologically fit and allows them to play with clarity.
“It’s very difficult to explain to people how grounding it is to just come back to your family every time you have something that is intense, which happens on the outside. I don’t think people have an understanding of what value it brings to a large extent. And I feel quite disappointed about that because it’s like people who have no control over what’s going on are kind of brought into conversations and put out at the forefront that, ‘Oh, maybe they need to be kept away,” Kohli stated during the RCB Innovational Lab Indian Sports Summit.
I don’t want to sit in my room and sulk: Virat Kohli
Families can stay with the players for up to two weeks if the series or tournament lasts more than 45 days; however, BCCI made it essential that they only join the players after the first two weeks of lengthy tours.
The duration is seven days for shorter international tours. Family time, according to the former Indian captain, cannot be negotiated.
Kohli further explained, “If you ask any player, do you want your family to be around you all the time? You’ll be like, Yes. I don’t want to go to my room and just sit alone and sulk. I want to be able to be normal.
And then you can treat your game as something that is a responsibility. You finish that responsibility, and you come back to life. For me, that is absolutely a day of immense pleasure. And I won’t miss any opportunities to go out and spend time with my family whenever I can.”
Kohli will be seen in action for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) when Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 begins on March 22.
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