DUBAI: Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli on Thursday said his teammates have become ‘acceptive’ of living in the IPL bio-bubble and there is no ‘desperation’ for a change of environment as they approach the tournament opener from September 19.
Royal Challengers Bangalore landed in the UAE on August 21 and have been training for more than two weeks, including some intra-squad practice games.
“To be honest we have become more acceptive of the situation around us.
Acceptance is the biggest change I have experienced (since day 1 here),” said Kohli in a virtual media conference organised to honour citizens who have become “COVID Heroes” amid the pandemic.
“When we spoke of the bio-bubble for the first time, we discussed about appreciating the things we have and the situation. All of us have become very relaxed in that environment.
“If we were not being acceptive, then we would be sad or upset about the surroundings. But there is no desperation of any sort.”
It will be the first time that IPL matches will be held in the absence of a packed crowd but Kohli said it is the need of the hour.
“All of us have thought about it (initially) and it would be a strange feeling and I won’t deny that. But the feeling has changed little bit after the training sessions and practices games,” he said.
“At the end of the day you just need to understand why you started playing the game, you started playing for the love of it.
Crowds are main part of the game but that is not what you play for.
“I can only say one thing that our intensity levels will not drop, I can assure you. There is a larger reason why all this is happening.”
Kohli was joined by teammates Parthiv Patel and the young Devdutt Paddikal in the interaction.
“It has sunk in (staying in bio-bubble). We did not put saliva on the ball during practice games and are taking care of ourself. It is very important to be safe,” said Patel.
“Honestly, it is my third year with the team, I have never seen this kind of environment before in my career. Everyone is smiling and that is what is important,” he added.
—PTI

Press Trust of India