ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Virat Kohli outsmarts BCCI, uses loophole for special food amid 'No personal chef' policy
Published - 17 Feb 2025, 10:52 AM | Updated - 17 Feb 2025, 11:34 PM
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Amidst the India National Cricket Team’s intense three-hour practice session in Dubai, an interesting yet eyebrow-raising Virat Kohli moment caught everyone’s attention. It seems that Virat Kohli doesn’t care about the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) latest strict guidelines.
The India National Cricket Team has kicked off its ICC Champions Trophy 2025 preparations in full swing in Dubai. Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the Indian squad hit the ICC Academy in Dubai for an intense training session ahead of their tournament opener against Bangladesh on February 20.
India prepare for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai
But all eyes are already on the highly anticipated weekend showdown between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on February 23. Amid the team’s rigorous three-hour session, an interesting moment unfolded involving Virat Kohli that caught one and all’s attention.
As the players wrapped up their drills and prepared to leave, Kohli took a brief moment to ensure he had just the right fuel for the road.
According to a report in the Times of India, Virat was seen having a 15-minute conversation with the team's local manager before the team bus arrived after India's practice session at the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai.
Virat Kohli sticks to his own diet routine despite BCCI’s strict rules
When the team manager returned, he was seen carrying a paper bag with food from a well-known restaurant. As the other Indian players were busy sorting their kit bags, the former Indian skipper was reportedly busy keeping a portion of the meal aside for later.
A Times of India report read, “It had had a few boxes of Kohli's post-session meal. While the others packed their kit bags, Kohli was refueling and even saved a box for the road.”
Notably, after the Indian cricket team’s disappointing performance in Australia, the BCCI has introduced a set of strict new guidelines for the national players. One of them strictly states that the players can no longer bring personal staff, such as chefs, security personnel, or assistants, on tours unless they have special approval from the BCCI.
Virat Kohli leads the charge as Indian batters sharpen skills in intense nets session
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli was reportedly the first to step into the nets, soon joined by the captain Rohit Sharma and star all-rounder Hardik Pandya at the ICC Cricket Academy. The players were provided with a great facility, with different nets dedicated to specific drills—one for throwdowns, another for pacers, and the last for spinners.
Kohli and Rohit were focused on their timing and shot selection to get back into their rhythm, while Hardik Pandya and Shreyas Iyer took a more aggressive approach. They were smashing deliveries with such intensity that the support staff had to stay alert while standing near the practice area.
Additionally, Kohli and Rohit faced a challenging spell from Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Shami during the practice session. Kohli focused on refining his flicks and on-drives against deliveries targeting his pads, while Rohit tackled yorkers and inswingers with sharp footwork.
