IPL 2019: Virat Kohli hints at taking a break during the tournament

As Indian captain, Virat Kohli is seen taking breaks time and again to remain free from injury. Being one of the biggest assets of Indian cricket at the moment, these timely breaks are meant to save him from an early burnout. And if his words are to be believed, he is set to do the same during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 which takes off on Saturday with a game between Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Team India players will be extra careful this IPL since the T20 tournament will soon be followed by the ICC World Cup and it is important that key players remain fresh when the big tournament arrives. Kohli is also one of those crucial players and he said on the eve of the IPL opener that he would not mind sitting out in one or two games during the long tournament to keep himself fresh for the WC. Management of workload of players who are highly likely to be picked for the showpiece event has remained high in the priority list.

It’s a personal responsibility

“Yes… that’s a big possibility. Why not?” Virat Kohli replied when asked if he could sit out a match or two to avoid burnout. “It’s a personal responsibility. It is up to the players to give information on any niggle to the concerned people as soon as possible and work as per plan. We have told the players to be smart about how they feel on a particular day and then reporting to the physios. If he’s told not to play, then he has to respect that,” he further said according to India Today.

Kohli was clearly sending a message to his Team India mates who are playing for other franchises in the tournament. The IPL will continue till May 12 when the final will be played. Each team will play 14 matches in the league stage of the tournament, playing every other team twice. The WC will kick off on May 30 and India’s first match is against South Africa on June 5.

When asked if the workload issue will affect the league, Kohli said, “At the end of the day, I am very motivated to start tomorrow personally. I don’t know how competitive or how relaxed Indian players are going to be during the IPL. Every professional knows how to maintain a balance. Eventually, you are playing for a franchise and they have trusted you to do a job for them.”

Talking about the RCB’s game against CSK, the Bangalore side hasn’t beaten Chennai since 2014 though Kohli said that head-to-head records were irrelevant for him.

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