Bio-bubble affecting players mentally, says Virat Kohli

Dubai:India skipper Virat Kohli has expressed his concern the way the bio-bubble is affecting the players mentally due to lengthy tours.

Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Kohli, is currently part of the Indian Premier League bio-bubble, and he along with other Indian players will fly out to Australia soon after the tournament finishes. 

The series against Australia only ends in February, which means a majority of the players would have been part of the bio-bubble culture for a lengthy period.

"It's repetitive, it's not as tough when the group of guys is amazing, which we have," Kohli told RCB TV. "Everyone part of that bio-bubble is really nice, the vibe has been so good. That's precisely why we've enjoyed playing together, just enjoyed our time in the bubble as well, but it does get difficult at times because it is repetitive."

"These things will have to be considered," he said. "Like what length of the tournament or series one is going to play and what impact it will have on players mentally to stay in a similar environment for 80 days and not do anything different.

"Or have space to just go and see family or small things like that. These things have to be thought about seriously. At the end of the day, you want the players to be in the best state mentally, based on how they're feeling. Those conversations should take place regularly," Kohli said.

Last week, England all-rounder Sam Curran, who was part of the Chennai Super Kings, felt players won't hesitate from opting out of national selection "in the near future" due to the mental strain of going from one bio-bubble to another.

Curran's England team-mate Jofra Archer, who has spent time in bio-bubbles since June, more than any other player currently, had admitted that he was counting down days to going home from the UAE, where he was part of the Rajasthan Royals.(UNI)