SA vs IND, 2018: Virat Kohli clears himself of any injury concern

Indian team suffered a small blow when Virat Kohli went off-the-field during South Africa’s innings in the three-match Twenty20 International in Johannesburg on Sunday (February 18).

However, it was an early stiffness that seemed to rebound whilst he was fielding.

The Indian captain  Kohli decided not to rake risk and walked off the field. Rohit Sharma, his deputy, took the charge of the team when the former walked out to get some treatment.

Before anyone could presume an injury concern for Virat, the Indian captain cleared it and called it a precautionary measure,

“The injury was early on in the innings when I went for the single. It was my glute and thankfully not my hammy (hamstring). You know how I am, I had to bend a bit more quickly. Then I felt a little bit more stiffness in my glute and that is why I went off. Not to be stupid and tear a muscle, I decided to go off and get it checked,” Kohli said

Kohli is currently one of the fittest cricketers in the Indian cricket team. In fact, the new policy of putting fitness first came into existence during his reign as captain.

It was in 2015, when he started putting extra focus on fitness and in mid-2017, more than six months after being appointed as limited-overs captain, he decided to put fitness first.

The team management made the Yo-Yo compulsory for players to make it to the Indian team. It saw players like Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh failing to make a comeback in the side.

On the other hand, the fitness of Indian players increased leaps and bounds. In fact, the players undergo Yo-Yo test on timely occasions so as their fitness level can be checked.

Reports had suggested that Manish Pandey had even left Kohli behind in terms of the score in the much-touted test. In the time to come, this Indian team might emerge out as the fittest team in the cricketing world.

Meanwhile, Kohli is all set to participate in the second T20I too. If there is an issue with his body, then he might take rest for the third and the final T20I. He, along with Jasprit Bumrah, is the only player to play all the games on the tour so far.

Rohit Sharma did not play the third Test while Shikhar Dhawan was dropped for the last two Test matches.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn’t play the second Test and was rested for the sixth ODI. Surely, if India would win the second T20I, then Kohli and Bumrah might take rest.

However, chances of Bumrah given rest are more and Virat Kohli may continue to play.

Selectors can look at giving him rest for the tri-series in Sri Lanka as Indian team is all set to stay away from home after the Afghanistan Test.

Any sort of confirmation on the matter will be done by selectors when they announce the squad, in days to come.

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