As captain of the Indian Cricket Team, Virat Kohli has led from the front, whether it is through his performances on the field or the very high fitness standards he has set for himself. The31-year-old has played 84 Tests, 248 ODIs and 82 T20 Internationals (T20Is) since making his India debut in 2008.And with the team facing a hectic schedule and very few breaks, Kohli said that the workload does indeed take its toll, but remained firm on playing all three formats for the next three years.
“My mindset is on the bigger picture as I prepare myself for a rigorous three years from now,” Kohli said ahead of India’s first Test against New Zealand in Wellington starting on Friday. “After that we might have a different conversation,” he added.
“It’s not a conversation you can hide away from in any manner. It is around eight years now that I have been playing 300 days a year, which includes travelling and practice sessions. And intensity is right up there all the time. It does take a toll on you,” he said.
“It’s not that the players are not thinking about it all the time. We do choose to take lot more breaks individually even though the schedule might not allow you to. Especially for guys, who play all the formats,” he said.
“It’s not easy being captain, having that intensity in the practice sessions. It does take a toll on you. Periodic breaks seem to work pretty okay for me,” Kohli told the media.
“At a time where the body can’t take anymore, maybe when I am 34 or 35, we will have a different conversation. For the next two to three years I have no issues at all,” he said.
“I can keep going on with the same intensity and also understand that the team wants a lot of my contribution in the next two to three years, so that I can ease into another transition that we faced five-six years ago,” he said.
