Virat Kohli takes on BCCI for schedules

Hyderabad: Stretched to play physical as well as mental games round the year, cricket captain Virat Kohli has finally told cash-machine BCCI that the players are after all human. Kohli, who has been a top peformer on the field, on Thursday indirectly asked the Board officials who draw up the fixtures: ‘Are you serious?’ Team India has been playing non-stop cricket since the start of IPL. The IPL was followed by ICC Champions Trophy, away tours of West Indies and Sri Lanka and three successive home series — starting September 17 when Australia came calling. 

After a short gap, matches with New Zealand followed, giving way to the current contest with Sri Lanka that ends only on December 24. Soon, the team will jet to the African continent for a series with South Africa that runs from December 31 to February 24. Kohli has had enough of it. “...unfortunately we get only two days before we fly to South Africa after this series gets over. So we have no choice but try to be in a game situation and think of what’s coming ahead of us. Had we got a month off ideally, we would have done a proper preparation in a camp sort of scenario but we have to sort of make do with what we have,” he said on Thursday explaining his choice to seek bouncy tracks in the ongoing series.

Acting BCCI president C. K. Khanna said the Board needs to seriously assess Kohli’s view. “Virat is the Indian captain and his view point on cricketing matters should be taken with utmost seriousness. If players are feeling fatigued, we need to have a broader view on the issue,” he said.