Rajeev Shukla Backs Virat Kohli, Pulls Up CoA for Poor Schedule

Rajeev Shukla on Friday, 24 January pulled up the CoA for poor scheduling of Team India’s calendar, saying players interest should also be kept in mind while finalising an itinerary for a particular series.

(Photo: AP)

• Former IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla pulled up the CoA for poor scheduling of Team India’s calendar.
• Shukla’s comments came after Kohli expressed displeasure over the scheduling of the ongoing New Zealand tour.
• Team India had to leave for New Zealand the very next day they played their last ODI against Australia in Bengaluru.

Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Rajeev Shukla on Friday, 24 January pulled up the Committee of Administrators (CoA) for poor scheduling of Team India’s calendar, saying players interest should also be kept in mind while finalising an itinerary for a particular series.

"I agree with Virat Kohli that calendar is too hectic. There should not be back to back matches and series as well. Players must get some rest and also enough time to get acclimatised. CoA should have kept this in mind before finalising the schedule," Shukla tweeted on Friday tagging the BCCI.

Shukla's comments came after Kohli expressed displeasure over the scheduling of the ongoing New Zealand tour. Team India had to leave for New Zealand the very next day they played their last ODI against Australia in Bengaluru.

Addressing the media before the first T20I in Auckland, Kohli said that it was coming to a scenario where players were landing at the stadium from one series to the other.

“It’s getting closer and closer to landing at the stadium straight. That’s how compressed the gap has become. This kind of travelling to a place that is seven and a half hours ahead of IST is difficult to adjust immediately. Hopefully, this will be taken into consideration in the future.”

Virat Kohli, India Captain

"But this is the year of the World Cup and every T20 is important. So we can't lose our focus,” he added.

However, BCCI officials feel the Indian skipper should have communicated the same to them rather than speaking about it in the media.

"The schedule was tight, but I don't see what the problem is when it is a schedule made under the Committee of Administrators and supervised by the CEO. Should this issue not have been raised with them considering the fact that they seemed to be on each other's speed dial?,” a BCCI official said.

"Even if he would have raised the issue with the BCCI Secretary, it could have been addressed. While Kohli is free to express himself the way he wishes to, there's a system that needs to be followed for resolution of issues and the core of the system is communication," the official told IANS.