Cricket News Today: Virat Kohli insists he will play all formats for three more years, IPL franchises want to play abroad and more - 19th February 2020
Hello and welcome to the daily round-up of all the major stories happening in the cricketing world today.
First up is Virat Kohli insisting to play all formats for three more years, followed by IPL franchises wanting to play abroad in the offseason. Kohli wants Prithvi Shaw to follow in the footsteps of Mayank Agarwal while Ravi Bishnoi expresses his excitement to learn under Anil Kumble. And lastly, Shane Bond reckons that India will find it hard to beat New Zealand in their den.
Here is a look at those stories in detail.
#1 Virat Kohli insists he will play all formats for three more years
Ahead of the first Test match against New Zealand in Wellington, Indian skipper Virat Kohli has revealed his intentions of playing for India for at least three more years in all three formats of the game.
Kohli cleared the air about his plans and stated that playing for 300 days in a year for more than eight years takes a toll on the body and players must be managed properly. He stated that taking regular and planned breaks was a crucial factor in keeping himself intact during those grueling years.
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According to Kohli, keeping the same intensity on the field needs off-the-field work and therefore cooling off is also equally necessary.
"My mindset is on the bigger picture as I prepare myself for a rigorous three years from now and after that, we might have a different conversation."
"It's not a conversation you can hide away from in any manner. It is around eight years now that I have been playing 300 days a year, which includes travelling and practice sessions. And intensity is right up there all the time. It does take a toll on you."
"I can keep going on with the same intensity and also understand that the team wants a lot of my contribution in the next two to three years, so that I can ease into another transition that we faced five-six years ago."
Full article: New Zealand vs India 2020: Virat Kohli insists he will play all formats for at least three more years