The schedule of 2020 IPL is out and all the teams are spending time at the training sessions to get back into shape after a big hiatus from cricket field due to coronavirus pandemic. The franchises are very much active on social media in terms of posting training session photos and videos to engage with fans, who will not be allowed in the stadiums during the tournament.
On Tuesday, Royal Challengers Bangalore posted a video of their training session on social media where the players were enjoying a football game. The star-studded RCB was divided into two teams during the football game, with Virat Kohli leading the Hot Dogs and AB de Villiers captaining the Cool Cats.
RCB's strength and conditioning coach, Shanker Basu monitored the football game from the sidelines.
"I hate football for cricketers. It's highly injurious. I can only see risk, no reward. But even in the Indian team, we cut football totally but once in a while, I allowed the children to play. Every year, when they play this game, my heart is in my mouth," Basu said in the latest episode of RCB's Bold Diaries.
Recently, Kohli also shared a picture of him playing football on his official social media profiles. The RCB captain received a compliment on his football skills from England's football team captain Harry Kane.
Kane wrote, "Nice technique right there," as Virat Kohli is seen playing football with other members of the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad.
In reply, Virat wrote, "@harrykane haha thanks mate. Coming from a technically gifted player like yourself, I know it's a legit observation."
Earlier, Kohli opined that this present RCB side has it in them to bounce back from that low given the great balance of experience and youth and T20 skillset.
"We definitely feel it will," Kohli told RCB's Bold Diaries, when asked about a 'miracle' in IPL 2020.
"We [AB de Villiers and I] have spoken about this that we have never felt so calm going into a season before. He is coming from a very different space, he has been enjoying his life. He is very relaxed. He came out to play a few times recently and he was looking like he's still playing in 2011. He is as fit as ever. I am feeling like I am in a much better space, much more balanced when it comes to the environment in the IPL.
"It's all about disconnecting with things that have happened in the past and not taking that baggage. We have done that too many times. Just because we have a bunch of players that are so skilled, people like seeing them play is the reason why people have had so much expectation as well.
"We are not going to think of what-ifs, we know what we can do as a team. And we're just very, very keen and hungry to go out there and do it," Kohli said.
