'Players need to be spoken and consulted with' - Virat Kohli opens up on bio-bubble

Ever since the game of cricket has commenced after a temporary halt due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many Indian cricketers have been practically living in a bubble with no real break in between. The Indian players had entered the bio-secure bubble made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in August 2020 in the United Arab Emirates.

This was followed by the National players boarding the flight to Australia for the three-match ODI and T20I series followed by the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy. While the players got a one-week break after the conclusion of the Australia tour, they again entered the bubble for the England tour of India. 

As soon as the three-match One Day series against England will come to an end, the players will be joining their respective franchises for the upcoming IPL 2021 that will run from April 9 to May 30 in India across six venues. However, it would be wrong to say that the bubble life is easy as it can be mentally very taxing for the players.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli shed light on the bubble aspect of the game as he asserted that the team-management should keep a constant check on the players to know about their mental health and thoughts as in tough times, it is important for the players to have a healthy mindset.

Virat Kohli opines on the bio-bubble

“Scheduling is something that’s not in our control. For us, international games… every game is important and every game has value. It’s an opportunity to represent your team. For us, that remains our sole focus,” he said.

“I’ve said this before also, scheduling and workload, everyone will have to be very aware of and keep an eye out for. You never know when restrictions can come in place. In the future, we might have to play in bubbles so it’s very important to consider how much cricket we are playing.

“It’s not just the physical side but mental side as well. Players need to be spoken and consulted with. Otherwise, it’s going to be a case of who can last through difficult times like these. If a player moves away and someone else replaces them, I don’t think that’s healthy for a cricket system and a cricket culture moving forward which we want to create stronger and stronger,” Virat Kohli concluded.