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Xtra Time Web Desk: Star India batter Virat Kohli has spoken in favor of players having their families accompany them on Team India tours, emphasizing that their presence helps maintain balance and normalcy, especially during challenging phases. His comments follow the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) recent directives restricting players' family time on tours after India's 3-1 series loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

BCCI’s New Family Policy for Tours  

The BCCI’s new rules allow players' immediate families, including partners and children, to join them for 14 days after the first two weeks of a tour lasting over 45 days. On shorter tours, families can accompany players for up to a week.

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Kohli on the Importance of Family Support  

Speaking at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit ahead of the IPL 2025 season, Kohli highlighted the significance of family presence during intense cricket schedules.

"It is very difficult to explain to people how grounding it is to just come back to your family every time you have something intense happening on the outside," Kohli was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Expressing his disappointment over external interference in players’ personal matters, he added, "I do not think people understand the value it brings. It is disheartening when those who have no control over the situation are brought into conversations, suggesting they should be kept away."

Kohli also pointed out that after tough matches, no player wants to "sit alone and sulk" and that having family around offers a sense of normalcy. "It allows you to complete your responsibility on the field and then return to a normal family life. That is something I cherish and would not miss any opportunity to spend time with my family whenever I can."

 Kohli’s Recent Performance and IPL 2025 Aspirations

 Kohli was a key performer in India's recent ICC Champions Trophy victory, finishing as the team’s second-highest run-getter and fifth overall with 218 runs in five matches at an average of 54.50. His standout performances included a match-winning 100* against Pakistan and a gritty 84 off 98 balls against Australia in the semifinals.

As he gears up for IPL 2025, Kohli remains the all-time highest run-scorer in tournament history with 8,004 runs in 252 matches at an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 131.97. Last season, he won the Orange Cap for scoring the most runs, amassing 741 runs at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, including a century and five fifties. His performances played a crucial role in RCB’s dramatic turnaround, winning six consecutive games to secure a playoff berth after a dismal start.

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IPL 2025: Jasprit Bumrah to be back or miss? Here is the latest update on his fitness

Kohli will aim to guide RCB to their maiden IPL title when they take on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the tournament opener on March 22 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.