Cricketers need 'periodic breaks' or more Ben Stokes will happen: Kohli

INDIA cricket captain Virat Kohli said on the eve of the first Test against England at Trent Bridge that if international cricketers do not take “periodic breaks” from the tough bio-bubble life, there could be a time when no players of quality will be left to do national service.

The 33-year-old ace batsman, whose own form has remained a concern for the visiting side ahead of the competitive series, admitted that living in one bio-bubble after another in these post-pandemic times adds to the stress of being a captain. He also said that it will not be long before cricketers start going the way of England all-rounder Ben Stokes who has taken an indefinite break to take care of his mental health.

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“These breaks are very important, for me too. To refresh and come back. In any case, captaincy and shouldering a team's responsibility can be stressful. To add to that, if you are confined in a bubble for a long time, things get even more difficult. These periodic breaks are very important,” Kohli said.

“Because if your players don't survive to play, then maintaining the quality of cricket will get difficult. Like he’s (Stokes) taken a break, there could be more players in the future, at some stage or the other, who could get fatigued by the bubble life,” Kohli, who also leads the Royal Challengers Bangalore side in the Indian Premier League, said.

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The Indian side got a break of 20-odd days after the final of the World Test Championship against New Zealand which they lost. Following the break, they assembled in Durham, where they played a three-day warm up game before reaching the venue of the first Test.

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“As a captain, I can say that subconsciously your mind is always functioning, you get so used to the team planning on a daily basis, you get very little time to switch off,” Kohli said at the virtual pre-match press conference ahead of the Test.

“From that point of view, the break was vital. Also, you've seen Ben Stokes has taken a break, we have been operating in a bubble for more than a year and it's not easy,” Kohli, who amassed 593 runs the last time India toured England for a full-fledged Test series, said.

India, however, have not beaten England in an away Test series in the last 14 years and were thumped 4-0, 3-1 and 4-1 by the Three Lions in the last three series.

Kohli also took the opportunity to praise the Indian athletes taking part in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics and said the entire country, including the cricketers, is super proud of the medal winners.

India have won three medals at the Olympics and all of them have been won by women.