The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is thinking about making it easier for players to have their families travel with them on long cricket tours. This decision comes after Virat Kohli, one of India’s top cricketers, talked about how hard it is to be away from family for so long during these tours. He shared that having loved ones around helps players feel more relaxed and supported, especially after intense matches.
New rule for long tours
After the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, the BCCI made a rule that players’ families could only visit once for two weeks during tours longer than 45 days. This was part of strict guidelines to help players stay focused and disciplined.
Now, after Virat Kohli spoke out about how important family support is, the BCCI is likely to relax this rule — starting with the England tour. According to an ANI report, players might soon be allowed to have their families stay with them for the entire tour. However, they’ll still need to get special permission from the BCCI for this to happen.
Kohli’s take on family support
Virat Kohli recently shared his feelings about the importance of family support during a session at the RCB Innovations Lab. He explained how returning to his family after an intense match helps him stay grounded.
“It is very difficult to explain to people how grounding it is to just come back to your family every time you have something intense, which happens on the outside,” Kohli said.
He also expressed disappointment over the belief that families should be kept away from players during important tournaments. “I do not think people have an understanding of what value it brings to a large extent. And I feel quite disappointed about that because it is like people who have no control over what is going on are kind of brought into conversations and put out at the forefront that, ‘oh, maybe they need to be kept away,'” he added.
Kohli reflected on how family time helps him feel normal despite the pressures of international cricket. He shared, “Like, there could be different situations happening in your life all the time. And that allows you to be absolutely normal. Not in a vague sense, but in a very real way that you finish your commitment, your responsibility, and then you come back to your house, you are with family, and there’s absolutely normalcy in your house and normal family life goes on. So, for me, that is absolutely a day of immense pleasure. And I would not miss any opportunities to go out and spend time with my family whenever I can.”
While the BCCI has yet to officially confirm the new policy, the ANI report suggests that players will need to submit a request to gain permission for their families to join them on full tours.
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