Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli took time off from the sport as he decided against wearing the Indian blues in the Nidahas Trophy T20 tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, after the successful conclusion of the long South Africa tour. With the Indian Premier League season 11 start just a couple of days away, the Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper revealed why he chose to take a break from cricket.
“I required it. Physically I was having a few niggles. I pretty much went to the tour of South Africa with full intensity. Towards the end, the body obviously took a bit of beating. I understood that I needed complete time off from the game. Three weeks without even looking at my kit bag or bats was a weird feeling,” said Kohli on marking on-field return to attend RCB practice sessions ahead of the start of the season.
Kohli might have been out of on-field action, while needing a complete shut down from the sport, he admitted that keeping his mind away from the sport wasn’t entirely possible for him.
“At the back of your mind, you are never out of the game. I was keeping a check on all the scores from around the world, especially with India playing as well. That kept me involved in some way. Physically, I wanted to take a complete break. I’m feeling strong and I’ve been training non-stop for the last 12 days. I feel I’m getting close to peak condition. I’m definitely at 100 percent now; 110 is what I prefer and that 10 will take a little more time,” he added.
