Kohli dismisses speculations of limited IPL matches for India’s World Cup-bound players

Virat Kohli, the India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain has shut speculations over whether IPL teams have been asked to manage the workload of Indian players who are World Cup-bound.

Revealing that no such instructions have been issued, Kohli pointed out that there are no restrictions on the number of games a player is taking part in and that it is up to the cricketers to manage their workload. (READ: Nehra in favour of players’ IPL preparation ahead of World Cup)

“You cannot put a cap on anything,” Kohli said in Bengaluru, at an event to launch a new app for Royal Challengers Bangalore, his IPL franchise. “If I’m able to play 10, 12 or 15 games, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the other guy can only play that many. My body might demand I play a certain number of games and I need to be smart about that and rest.

“Someone else’s body might be more capable than mine or less, that is a very individual thing. And everyone wants to play the World Cup, so people will be smart about it because you don’t want to miss out on such a big event.” (READ: RCB’s top five players to watch our for)

The Indian Premier League runs from March 23 to May 19 – almost two months and many former and current cricketers have expressed concerns regarding the participation of players in a tournament as gruelling as the IPL. The tournament, in the past, has led to countless injuries, and with India scheduled to play their first World Cup match against South Africa on June 5, it leaves the players roughly three weeks’ time to freshen up.

“From a responsibility point of view, all the Indian players will have the responsibility during the IPL to keep a watch on their fitness and their workloads,” he said. “And to continue the frame of mind we have created in the Indian team – strive towards excellence and improve every day. Each player will take this tournament as an opportunity to go to the World Cup in a good frame of mind.”