Ahead of the Indian Premier League, Team India skipper Virat Kohli said that cricketers are suffering after spending months in a bio-secure ‘bubble’ due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kohli also said that scheduling will have to be looked at in order to help players perform in the high-stress environment.

Kohli was speaking after India beat England 2-1 in the ODI series that ended on Sunday. Players from both sides immediately moved to join their respective IPL franchises. IPL 2021 will begin on April 9 and the players will be required to follow the ‘bubble’ protocols for another two months.

“Scheduling needs to be looked at in future, because playing in ‘bubbles’ for so long, two to three months, is going to be very, very difficult going forward,” Kohli said.

“You can’t expect everyone to be at the same level of mental strength. Some times you do get cooked and you do feel like a bit of a change.

Also read: R Ashwin shares experience inside bio-bubble

Since cricketing action resumed in August last year, most international players have been restricted to bio-secure bubbles for the most part.

From September until January, India’s players went through similar quarantine and isolation regimes in the delayed 2020 IPL in the UAE and their tour of Australia before having a short break ahead of the home England series which comprised four Tests, five Twenty20 matches and three one-day internationals.