India star Virat Kohli, on Saturday, opened up on BCCI’s fresh diktat restricting the presence of families while players are on tour. The 36-year-old Virat Kohli, who played a significant role in India’s third Champions Trophy haul last week, expressed his displeasure over the rule as he explained the importance of family’s presence during overseas campaigns.
Virat Kohli, the star batter for Team India, recently spoke out against the BCCI’s strict regulations. Kohli’s wife, Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, is frequently seen at Team India’s matches and was present at the Dubai International Stadium for the 2025 Champions Trophy final on March 9.
Delhi Capitals (DC) fast bowler Mohit Sharma has criticized the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) new policy limiting family members’ presence during tours. This update came after Team India’s 1-3 defeat in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series in Australia.
BCCI’S No-Family Tour Policy for Team India
Following India’s disappointing loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series in Australia and the team’s failure to qualify for the World Test Championship final for the first time in history, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced strict regulations concerning family travel, baggage limits, and personal advertisement shoots.
Under the revised guidelines, players’ families, including spouses and children, are allowed to join them for up to 14 days, but only after the first two weeks of a tour, provided the tour lasts longer than 45 days. For shorter tours, lasting less than 45 days, family members are only permitted to stay for a week. The introduction of these rules has sparked concerns among players
According to the new BCCI rule the family travel policy ensures a balance between players’ personal well-being and team commitments.
• Eligibility: Players absent from India for more than 45 days during overseas tours can be joined by their partners and children (under 18) for one visit per series (format-wise) of up to a two-week period.
• Provisions: The BCCI will cover shared accommodation with the player for the visitors’ period. All other expenses are to be borne by the player.
• Coordination: Visits must be scheduled at a single time during dates agreed upon by the coach, captain, and GM operations.
• Exceptions: Any deviation from this policy must be pre-approved by the coach, captain and GM operations. Additional expenses outside the visitors’ period will not be covered by the BCCI.
BCCI had unveiled a 10-point policy to promote discipline and unity in the Indian cricket team after the loss against Australia earlier in the year. This includes the limited duration for which players’ families can stay with them during the overseas tournaments. If the players fail to comply with the rules, they will invite sanctions, including cuts in their retainer fee from central contracts and a bar on participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Now, the senior player of Indian Cricket Team Virat Kohli has opened up on the new rules, expressing his disappointment. Recently, Virat Kohli spoke at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit in Bengaluru, ahead of the much-awaited IPL 2025. The batter opened up on BCCI’s fresh diktat restricting the presence of families while players are on tour.
Virat Kohli on BCCI’s policy regarding family members ahead of IPL 2025
Team India ace batter Virat Kohli recently shared his thoughts about the BCCI’s strict policy, claiming that it is counterproductive. Kohli’s wife and Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma is often present during Team India’s matches and was also there at the Dubai International Stadium for the 2025 Champions Trophy final on March 9.
Virat Kohli, the star batter for Team India, recently spoke out against the BCCI’s strict regulations. Kohli’s wife, Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, is frequently seen at Team India’s matches and was present at the Dubai International Stadium for the 2025 Champions Trophy final on March 9.
“If you ask any player, do you want your family to be around you all the time? You’ll be like, ‘Yes.’ I don’t want to go to my room and just sit alone and sulk. I want to be able to be normal. And then you can really treat your game as something that is a responsibility. You finish that responsibility, and you come back to life,” Kohli said during Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit (via ESPNCricinfo).
“Any player would say they’d love to have their family nearby. It’s not about isolating yourself in your room to sulk. You want to feel normal, and having your loved ones close can help. It’s about managing your game as a responsibility once that’s done, you return to your life,” Kohli expressed during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit (via ESPNCricinfo).
The BCCI has extended similar regulations to the IPL, mirroring the rules for the Indian national team. For the 2025 IPL season, family members are prohibited from entering the dressing rooms and will be required to travel separately from the team, using different vehicles instead of the team bus. DC pacer Mohit Sharma trashes BCCI policy ahead of IPL 2025
Mohit Sharma supports Virat Kohli ahead of IPL 2025
Delhi Capitals (DC) pacer Mohit Sharma has slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) mandate restricting the presence of family members on tours. The updated guidelines were issued in the aftermath of Team India’s 1-3 loss in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series in Australia.
As per the new rules, families, which include spouses and children, can stay with the player for 14 days after two weeks of the tour’s commencement, provided that the length of the said tour is over 45 days. If the tour duration is less than the aforementioned threshold, then the families can stay with the player only for a week.
The introduction of the rule was not met with unanimous approval, as players voiced their concerns. Mohit Sharma expressed his reservation against the rule but maintained that there is no point protesting against something that is not in their control.
“Some things are beyond our control. While we all have personal opinions, it’s essential to focus on what we can manage. How can the presence of families be a bad thing? If something isn’t in our hands, it’s best to leave it as it is. Rather than commenting on such matters, we should concentrate on what we can control,” Mohit Sharma told ANI (via Hindustan Times).
The BCCI has also introduced similar regimes into the IPL environment in extension to the one applied for Team India. As per the guidelines for the 2025 edition, families are not allowed in the dressing room and will be directed to travel in separate vehicles instead of the team bus.
The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) will begin on March 22, with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) taking on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Eden Gardens.