Indian captain Virat Kohli said that he is keeping himself positive and happy as he prepares for a return to action.
With cricket coming to a standstill due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus across the globe, the players are taking it to social media, as well as tv shows to talk about their life in the sport and beyond. Many cricketers have also stated their own live shows on Instagram as they interact with fellow teammates and international cricketers.
In one such interaction with Star Sports for their show 'Cricket Connected', Indian captain Virat Kohli talked about how he is preparing for a return to action.
"Well, fortunately, I have all my gym equipment at home, so I am able to train and that's not a problem for me. As far as the game goes, luckily, I am someone who has always been very keen on improving my mental state and not really focus on practising long hours in the net over a period of time," Kohli said.
"So I know, once I am in good frame of mind and I am keeping myself positive and happy, just looking forward in life, whenever I return to the game, I know I will be in good position to start again from where we left."
The health crisis, which has so far killed nearly 2000 people and infected more than 59,000 in India, had forced the government to enforce a national lockdown, which will end on May 17.
Kohli admitted it was not easy in the initial days.
"It was a bit tough initially but you start looking at things from a different point of view as the time goes on more and more, because eventually you realise that nothing is in your control," Kohli said.
"So what you can control to an extent is your own mindset and just looking at things with positive frame of mind and the only good thing is that I have been able to train, practice was not such a big problem for me even before, so that is what I am doing, I am training, I am keeping fit."
The highly contagious disease also saw the indefinite postponement of the 13th IPL, which was set to start in March.
Kohli said he "absolutely loves" to play in the IPL because it is different from other ICC events in terms of the camaraderie that cricketers of different nationalities share and the connect that the players have with their fans.
"You do play all your tournaments, which is one team versus another, ICC tournaments come every now and then, but even in ICC tournaments, you don't really interact with the other team players or you see the other teams so often every now and then," Kohli said.
"But in the IPL, you are just probably meeting another team every second or third day and that's the beauty of the IPL, you are playing in a different 'mahol' (atmosphere).
"I absolutely love that tournament and also for the camaraderie which you share with so many new players that you play with, so many players that you have known for a long time now, not from your own country, those who you don't see often, and there is one reason why everyone loves the IPL too, there is a connect, of players and fans and of viewers."
(With inputs from PTI)
