'Going to put more stress on Virat Kohli, for his wife...': BCCI's new guideline unveils off-field drama

Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg has suggested that great Indian batter Virat Kohli's recent troubles could be due to off-field distractions rather than issues on the pitch. Hogg expressed concern that the BCCI's new guideline regulating family attendance during international tours may put additional strain on the seasoned player.

Virat struggled throughout the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring just 190 runs in ten innings. This dismal performance, combined with India's series defeat to Australia, has brought Virat under scrutiny. He finished the year with 655 international runs in 23 matches and 32 innings, averaging 21.83, including one century and two fifties. His top score was an unbeaten 100.

In view of the team's general deficiencies, the BCCI implemented a new policy that addresses a variety of issues, including luggage, family involvement on tours, and playing domestic cricket. A major alteration is the 14-day limit on players' family time during away tours.

Hogg, who was part of Australia's 2003 and 2007 Cricket World Cup teams, shared his insights on his YouTube channel, suggesting that Virat might be feeling overwhelmed by his responsibilities, which could be affecting his on-field performance.

"He has got a family now. He has other commitments off the field that he did not have when he was really dominating all three formats around the globe. So, it is not just about the cricket, it is what happening off the field as well," said Hogg.

"I think it is more the drama off-field than on-field for Virat. I just think he has just got too much on his plate that has probably caused him to not perform as well at this moment," he added.

Speaking further on BCCI's rules about families, Hogg said, "With the new rules that the BCCI have brought in in regards to families, that's even going to put more stress on Virat, for his wife and family as well because you got to have that balance. I think players should be able to have their families on tour as much as possible, especially with the amount of cricket and the amount of travel that India has at the present moment."

Hogg stated that India's struggles during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy were not due to the presence of their families, but rather to the culture set by new head coach Gautam Gambhir and the support personnel in the dressing room.

Virat has had a substantial decline in his Test performance from the beginning of 2020. In 39 Test matches since then, he has only 2,028 runs at an average of 30.72, with three centuries and nine fifties to his record. His high score is 186.

Also read| IND vs ENG 2nd T20I: England announce playing XI for Chennai T20I, make one change