IPL 2021: Virat Kohli to join Royal Challengers Bangalore squad in Chennai on April 1

Virat Kohli is set to join the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 on April 1, two days after the team commences their camp in Chennai. Kohli would need to undergo the mandatory one-week-long quarantine put in place as part of IPL SOPs after the Indian skipper exited the bio-secure bubble in Pune following India’s ODI series against England. 

RCB will play their first phase of IPL 2021 matches, including the season opener on April 9 against defending champions Mumbai Indians, in Chennai. 

Kohli has been part of bio-secure bubbles since the last IPL. While he exited it during India’s Test series against Australia to be with his wife Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first child, Kohli was back in the bubble for the entire home tour against England.  

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The hectic schedule comes into question again as India will enter another bio-bubble soon after IPL 2021 for the final of the ICC World Test Championship in England in June. The WTC final will be followed by a five-Test series in England. The Men in Blue would then engage for the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played in October-November in India. 

Kohli, on Sunday, highlighted the hectic scheduling while citing players mental health as they are moving from one bubble to another amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"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 at the post-match presentation. "You can't expect everyone to be at the same level of mental strength”   

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"Sometimes you do get cooked and you do feel like a bit of a change. I am sure things will be discussed and things will change in the future as well. But a different tournament, it brings fresh challenges heading into the IPL." 

The likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Mohammed Siraj would be available to train for RCB from Tuesday. The majority of the RCB squad had reached Chennai last week including team director Mike Hesson, Sanjay Bangar. AB de Villiers also arrived in Chennai at the weekend. 

IPL 2021 commences from April 9.