Virat Kohli has emphasised the importance of having families present during Team India’s tours, highlighting their role in maintaining balance and normalcy, particularly during challenging times.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently implemented new guidelines limiting family time for players on tours following India’s 3-1 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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Under the new directives, players’ immediate families, partners, and children can join them for only 14 days after the first two weeks of tours lasting over 45 days. For shorter tours, family accompaniment is limited to one week.
“It is very difficult to explain to people how grounding it is to just come back to your family every time you have something intense, which happens on the outside.”
“I do not think people have an understanding of what value it brings to a large extent. And I feel quite disappointed about that because it is like people who have no control over what is going on are kind of brought into conversations and put out at the forefront that, ‘oh, maybe they need to be kept away’.”
“I want to be able to be normal. And then you can really treat your game as something that is a responsibility. You finish that responsibility, and you come back to life.”
“Like, there could be different situations happening in your life all the time. And that allows you to be absolutely normal. Not in a vague sense, but in a very real way that you finish your commitment, your responsibility, and then you come back to your house, you are with family, and there’s absolutely normalcy in your house and normal family life goes on. So, for me, that is absolutely a day of immense pleasure. And I would not miss any opportunities to go out and spend time with my family whenever I can.”
Kohli recently contributed to India’s ICC Champions Trophy victory, finishing as the team’s second-highest run-scorer and fifth overall with 218 runs in five matches at an average of 54.50.
His notable performances included an unbeaten century against Pakistan in a chase of 242 runs and a crucial 84 runs against Australia in the semifinals while pursuing 265 runs.
Kohli will next appear in the IPL 2025 season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, starting with the opening match against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 22 at Eden Gardens.
He currently holds the record for most runs in IPL history with 8,004 runs in 252 matches, maintaining an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 131.97, including eight centuries and 55 fifties.
In the previous season, Kohli claimed the Orange Cap for scoring the most runs, accumulating 741 runs at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, with one century and five fifties.
His team demonstrated remarkable resilience last season by qualifying for the playoffs after winning only one match in their first eight games, followed by six consecutive victories to secure a spot in the final four.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.
