Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma and Gautam Gambhir© Instagram | BCCI/Sportzpics
In the wake of India’s poor 2024-25 Test campaign, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly looking to introduce some tough rules. Until now, players’ families, especially their wives’ freedom over their stays for long tours but the Indian board is now set to make some drastic changes. As per a report, the BCCI feels that players’ performances on overseas tours get affected negatively if they stay with their families for long durations. Hence, the board wants to re-introduce a rule that existed before 2019, limiting families’ time with players.
According to a report in Dainik Jagran, the BCCI would only allow families, especially wives, to stay with players for two weeks during the course of a 45-day tour. Not just that, every player would be required to travel in the team bus with the other members of the squad. Lone travel will also be discouraged by the board.
Virat Kohli’s wife Anushka Sharma, who is often seen on tours alongside other cricketers’ wives like Ritika Sajdeh and Athiya Shetty, might no longer be able to accompany their husbands for full tours any longer.
Gautam Gambhir‘s Freedom To Be Taken Away
The BCCI has also tightened screws against head coach Gautam Gambhir and his manager Gaurav Arora. Neither would Gambhir’s manager be allowed to stay in the team hotel, nor he would be permitted to be seated in the VIP box at stadiums. The manager would neither be allowed to accompany Gambhir in the team bus nor the bus behind it.
The report has also stated that during air travel, the BCCI would refrain from paying for players’ luggage if the weight exceeds 150kg. The players would be asked to bear that cost themselves.
India’s Test & ODI captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar met BCCI’s top bosses, including the newly-appointed secretary and treasurer in a meeting where these matters were reportedly discussed.
The future of veteran stars, including Virat Kohli and Rohit, as well as the tenure of Gambhir’s coaching staff, were among the top subjects to be discussed during the meet.
It was also suggested that the tenure of support staff in the team should be limited to three years. The BCCI bosses feel the performances have plateaued as certain support staff members have been with the team for quite a long time.
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