IPL 2020 | Have to understand our privilege of being part of IPL and act responsibly, states Virat Kohli

Just two months ago, the possibility of BCCI hosting the IPL was bleak, given the COVID-19 situation in the country. However, in such a short span of time, the Indian cricketing board has made the necessary arrangements to host the IPL in September in the Middle East. Even before the start of the competition, there are a few scares around in CSK’s camp owing to the positive cases, while the other players have their doubts about their safety during the tournament. 

Virat Kohli, speaking on RCB’s Bold Diaries, admitted that the cricketers involved in the tournament during such hard times are very privileged. He further added that the players must understand their level of privilege and act responsibly according to the situation. 

"We're here to play. We're not here to have fun and roam around and say I want to hang out in Dubai. That is not the time we're living in. So we have to accept the phase that we're going through and understand the privilege just to be a part of the IPL. Everyone should accept that and not have desires that make them behave in a manner that is not required," Kohli told RCB Diaries, reported ESPNCricinfo.

From a personal point of view, Kohli stated that it was the first time he got to spend time with his wife Anushka Sharma during the lockdown. On the cricketing front, the Indian skipper also reckoned that he did not miss cricket as much as he felt initially he would, due to the rigorous nine-years of cricket that preceded the lockdown. 

"When we had our practice session yesterday, is the time I realised how long it's been. When I was heading to the practice session I felt nervous, felt a bit jittery, but things were okay. Honestly I didn't miss the game as much as I thought I might. Maybe because I was going for nine-ten years before that and this was the only break I was ever going to get. And that long. But it was a revelation for me. My focus was not solely on how I'm missing the game all the time and just carrying on with life and doing other things.

"The best thing was Anushka and I were at home. We never got so much time to spend together, since we started seeing each other. This was the longest we got to spend with each other," Kohli said. "Just being home, being in your own home with the one you love - you couldn't ask for anything better. We just made the most of that whole time. Created a bit of a routine for ourselves."

As per reports, Kohli’s RCB might take on Mumbai Indians in the opening fixture of the tournament on September 19, as the franchise looks set to break the deadlock.