IPL 13: Bio-bubble needs to be respected at all times, stresses Kohli

Dubai, Sep 1 (IANS) India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli has urged all teams to respect the Indian Premier League’s bio-secure bubble.

Speaking on RCB’s Youtube show ‘Bold Diaries’, the 31-year-old Kohli said he didn’t exactly miss the game during the Covid-forced lockdown, which brought sporting action to a halt.

“Maybe because I was going on day and night for the last 10 years…It was a revelation for me in the sense that my focus was not solely on missing the game all the time,” Kohli said.

“We are all here to play cricket…The bio-bubble needs to be respected at all times for the tournament to happen eventually. We are not here to have fun and roam around and you know say that ‘I want to hang out in Dubai’,” Kohli said.

“That is not the time we are living in. Accept the phase that we are going through and understand the privilege that we have, just to be a part of the IPL. Everyone should accept that and not behave in a manner which the situation doesn’t require them to,” he said.

Kohli also added that it didn’t take much time for him to find his groove.

“A couple of months back you couldn’t imagine that you will have IPL firstly…When we had our practice session yesterday, I realised how long it has been. When I was heading to the practice session, I felt nervous,” he conceded.

“I felt a bit jittery but things were okay. I didn’t miss the game as much as I thought I might…just carrying on with life was also important,” he said.

–IANS

dm/in