Virat Kohli is Not a Machine, He Needs Some Rest: Ravi Shastri

Indian cricket coach Ravi Shastri has jumped to the defense of captain Virat Kohli after the latter missed out on his County stint ahead of the England tour.

Meanwhile, Kohli sustained a slipped disc owing to his neck during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). He was representing the Bengaluru-based outfit Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). As a result, he will miss the County Championship stint with Surrey Cricket Club (SCC).

Surrey management expressed their disappointment on that matter. However, they added that they respect Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to pull Kohli out from the County stint.

According to a BCCI’s press release, Kohli will require a three-week rehabilitation to recover from the injury. The 29-year-old will undergo a fitness test on June 15 – to confirm his availability for the two Twenty20 Internationals against Ireland.

Kohli, not a machine: Ravi Shastri

Talking to Mumbai Mirror, Shastri backed his skipper saying that he is not a machine. Moreover, he added that it is not putting rocket fuel up his backside and getting him on the park.

“(He had to skip the county stint) because he is not a top dog. He is not a machine but a human being. It is not a case of putting rocket fuel up his backside and getting him on the park. Even a top dog can’t be given rocket fuel up his backside,” he told Mumbai Mirror.

Meanwhile, the ‘top dog’ comment is in reference to Moeen Ali calling his RCB skipper a potential star at Surrey.

Kohli has been playing cricket non-stop for quite some time and the burden of captaincy is putting extra stress on his body and mind.

The 29-year-old Kohli did complain in the past. He also missed a game during the South Africa tour when he skipped a last Twenty20 International in February.

Also read: Virat Kohli reveals one thing he doesn’t want in his family after he becomes a father