"Was Pretty Scared": Virat Kohli On Resuming Training After Five Months

Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli was satisfied with the first training session of the franchise and said spinners were really looking good as they landed the ball in the right areas. The IPL 2020 will be played in the UAE from September 19-November 10 across three venues -- Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. All eight IPL franchises have reached UAE for taking part in the upcoming tournament. Virat Kohli also mentioned that he was scared before the first training session as he was picking up a bat after five months.

Bold Diaries: First Practice Session

Watch how the first net session in over 5 months went for most of our players! #PlayBold #IPL2020 #WeAreChallengers pic.twitter.com/vWsSutD4vw

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) August 29, 2020

"Much better than expected, to be honest, I was pretty scared, haven't picked up a bat in the last five months but yeah, it just came out better than I expected. I have trained quite a bit during the lockdown so I am feeling quite fit and that helps as you can react better. That's a big plus if you come heavier into the season so the body is not in the right shape and that starts playing in your mind," Kohli said in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of RCB.

"The spinners looked pretty good in day one, Shahbaz Nadeem, Washington Sundar were landing the ball in the right areas, Chahal bowled well too, the seamers went through the motions little bit today, all in well decent start to our camp," he added.

South Africa pacer Dale Steyn also said that it was nice to finally get out to the middle to do some training.

"Nice to get out after spending months without training, I am excited and hopefully I do not pull up stiff the next day," Steyn said in the video.

Earlier today, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that 13 personnel including two players tested positive for COVID-19.

However, the board did not specify as to which team has how many confirmed cases. The identity of the players and staff has also not been revealed yet.

"13 personnel have tested positive of which 2 are players. All the affected personnel as well as their close contacts are asymptomatic and have been isolated from other team members. They are being monitored by the IPL Medical Team," the BCCI had said in an official release.

All players and team personnel are required to undergo a six-day quarantine period after landing in the UAE and everyone needs to be tested for COVID-19 thrice.

Once, they all test negative for COVID-19, the players can start training in the UAE with their team-mates.

The final match of the 2020 edition is scheduled to be played on a weekday, i.e. Tuesday, for the first time in the history of the T20 tournament.

This time, both the afternoon and evening matches will be played half-an-hour earlier than usual. 

Topics mentioned in this article

Virat Kohli Dale Steyn Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL 2020 Cricket