Star Indian batter Virat Kohli has voiced his support for the presence of players' families during tours, emphasising the vital role of personal support in handling the rigours of professional cricket.
Kohli categorically maintained that he would always prefer the company of his family to alleviate the strain of intense match days rather than isolating himself in a hotel room.
His remarks come in the wake of a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directive that limits family time for players.
Following India’s 1-3 Test series defeat against Australia, the board introduced a rule permitting families to stay for a maximum of 14 days on tours exceeding 45 days and one week on shorter assignments.
Speaking at the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Innovation Lab summit, which concluded on Saturday, Kohli articulated the importance of family in providing emotional stability.
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“The role of family is very difficult to explain to people… how grounding it is to just come back to your family every time you have something which is intense, which happens on the outside," said Kohli. “I don't think people have an understanding of what value it brings."
Kohli asserted that familial presence helps players recover more effectively from on-field setbacks. “I don't want to go to my room and just sit alone and sulk. I want to be able to be normal. Then you can really treat your game as something that is a responsibility."
He further explained, "Not in a vague sense, but in a very real way that you finish your commitment and then you come back to your house, you're with family, and absolutely normalcy in your house and normal family life goes on. So, for me, that is absolutely a day of immense pleasure. I won't miss any opportunities to go out and spend time with my family whenever I can."
Kohli expressed disappointment that individuals with no real connection to the issue were often drawn into such discussions.
“I feel quite disappointed about that because it's like people who have no control over what's going on are brought into conversations and put out at the forefront of that—'oh, maybe they need to be kept away'. And if you ask any player, do you want your family to be around you all the time? You'll be like, yes."
A renowned advocate of fitness in cricket, Kohli recalled the challenge of convincing his mother about his dietary regime, citing his deep familial bond.
“Support system (for fitness) from the team's point of view wasn't tough. Convincing my mom what I was doing was way harder. She was very disappointed in the fact that I wasn't eating any parathas and I was looking weak on the field. "And I was like, you know what, there are people who are playing in other countries asking me how I'm training. And how I'm very fit now. And you're telling me I'm looking weak. So I had to convince her that everything's fine, I'm not sick, don't worry. That was way harder," he added.
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