Chennai: As the IPL Season 12 preludes the all-important 50-over ICC World Cup, the focus is on workload management of Indian players. The IPL involves a lot of traveling as teams crisscross the country during the two-month period and it could take a lot on players.
India skipper Virat Kohli on Friday hinted that he could sit out for a couple of IPL matches if his body demands rest. “Yes, that’s a big possibility. Why not? Again, it’s a personal responsibility. No one is playing at a level where they need to be bound by any sort of restrictions. But we have told the players to be smart about how they feel on a particular day and then reporting to the physios,” said Kohli.
Kohli expects his India teammates to be smart as well as honest when it comes to fitness. “It will boil down to giving information to the people concerned as soon as possible and then they will figure out a plan for that player. If he’s told not to play, then he has to respect that. As soon as you develop a niggle, the information has to be given and then they have to follow the plan,” he added.
Kohli, however, said the too much focus on workload management will not affect the competitiveness of the IPL.
“At the end of the day, I am very motivated to start tomorrow personally. I don’t know how competitive or how relaxed the other Indian players are going to be. Every professional knows how to maintain a balance. Eventually you are playing for a franchisee and they have trusted you to do a job for them. Till the time you play, you have to give 120 per cent. I am sure the guys are going to be smart about it. They are going to choose wisely through the tournament. That’s the feedback from the players. It is not forced on them. They said we are going to be careful and analyse things on the go,” Kohli added.
