COVID-19: Skipper Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma may miss out on training for India
BCCI official Dhumal says most senior players could be back on the field by next week
Dubai: Next on the cards for the India cricket team is a short tour of Sri Lanka. But, that trip may well be called off by the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI).
The BCCI has already announced that it could allow outdoor training for its top players as early as next week after a further easing of the government’s nation-wide coronavirus lockdown.
However, among those who could miss out on the training are top Indian players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as both could be among the few who could be left stranded in pandemic-stricken Mumbai.
BCCI Treasurer Arun Dhumal told AFP that there is a possibility of both Kohli and Sharma missing out on outdoor training as Mumbai struggles to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. “For players like Kohli and Rohit, the restrictions are there in Mumbai and might stay,” Dhumal said.
Mumbai has recorded almost 1,000 coronavirus deaths and for the moment, accounts for more than a third of India’s fatalities so far. To further compound things, the number of new cases is still rising.
The BCCI official related that following government talk of further easing its nearly two-month lockdown, there were possibilities of “some skill-based training” outdoors in other parts of India.
Dhumal said India’s National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru was already working out on a post-lockdown plan for players which would be adapted to the level of restrictions.
All forms of international cricket and various other sporting events have been brought to a grinding halt due to the pandemic. Among these events was the cash-strapped Indian Premier League (IPL) that has all the whos-who of cricketers from across the globe.
On their part, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Kohli and other high-profile sporting heroes have been posting pictures of their indoor training and other allied activities on social media during the lockdown.
“As of now we are working, given the lockdown restrictions, through apps and online modes. The coaches and support staff are regularly in touch with the players,” Dhumal said.
“Everybody would be keen to hit the ground and the idea is whenever we are ready for cricket to resume, they (the players) are able to give their 100 per cent."