IPL 2020: We have trained in a balanced manner, says captain Kohli


IPL 2020: We have trained in a balanced manner, says captain Kohli

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Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers

The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli feels that the team has trained in a balanced manner in order to accelerate after a five-month-long break which was forced due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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“Few shoulders were sore initially because we threw after months, suddenly you realise a few muscles were asleep. But I think the guys are now getting back into the intensity level we want,” Kohli said in a video posted by RCB’s official Twitter handle.

“I think we have moved ahead in a balanced manner. We didn’t wanna be like a maniac doing six sessions in six days. We gave ample time to the boys and will continue to do the same along the course of the next few training sessions,” he added.

I am very very happy with how the team is shaping up”: Kohli

Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli

The 31-year-old said that the long break increases the intensity of training sessions deliberately, which the RCB has now managed to attain.

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“First few days we are just getting our eye in, getting back in thick of things after 5 months, it’s a bit different, try and get into the frame of mind which you usually want to be,” Kohli said.

“It takes a bit of time, in this session now we are mostly batting in this sessioning to figure out hitting angles, understanding the pace of the wicket and all these. I am very very happy with how the team is shaping up,” Kohli further added.

The talismanic batsman managed to score 5,412 runs in 177 matches for the franchise in the tournament. He has also named the Orange Cap to his name in the 2016 season, scoring 973 runs which include four tons and seven half-centuries.

Sixty IPL games will be played over 53 days across three venues – Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The opening match of the season will be played on September 19.

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This season, both the afternoon and evening matches will be played half an hour earlier than ordinary. RCB will be played their first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on September 21.

Also read: ‘The most balanced RCB squad we have had since 2016’: Virat Kohli ahead of 2020 IPL