Former IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla backs Virat Kohli on tight scheduling, slams BCCI and CoA

Virat Kohli stirred a hornet’s nest while addressing the press on the eve of the first T20I between India and New Zealand in Auckland. Kohli had pointed out the life of a cricketer, given that they were in New Zealand to play a T20I just a week after playing an ODI against the Australian team at home. They had to leave for this away series a day after the third ODI at home against the Kangaroos.

“It’s getting closer and closer to landing at the stadium straight. That’s how compressed the gap has become. This kind of travelling to a place that is seven and a half hours ahead of IST is difficult to adjust immediately,” Kohli was quoted as saying by India Today during the press conference. It was a valid reason given that the Indian team has been playing non stop cricket for some time, with a break for Diwali and New Year in between. Though the BCCI took notice of the issue, Rajiv Shukla, the former IPL head has backed Kohli on this issue.

“I agree with Virat Kohli that calendar is too hectic”: Rajiv Shukla

The scheduling for this series was done by the now-defunct Committee of Administrators (CoA) which was set up by the Supreme Court for overseeing the workings of the BCCI. “I agree with Virat Kohli that the calendar is too hectic. There should not be back to back matches and series as well. Players must get some rest and also enough time to get acclimatized. CoA should have kept this in mind before finalizing the schedule,” Shukla tweeted and tagged the BCCI as well.

Meanwhile, Kohli further had mentioned that the Indian board will be more careful in the future while making the schedule of the team. Also, a BCCI functionary was quoted by Times of India as saying, “The schedule was tight, but I don’t see what the problem is when it is a schedule made under the Committee of Administrators and supervised by the CEO. He has every right to raise a point, but to be fair, all travel plans are made keeping in mind the interest of the players.”

India registered a six-wicket win over New Zealand in the first T20I as Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul hit half-centuries in a chase of 204 runs. Earlier fifties from Kane Williamson, Colin Munro, and Ross Taylor had powered New Zealand to 203 runs when putting into bat by Kohli after winning the toss.

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