Virat Kohli admits workload has started to take its toll on him

India cricket team captain Virat Kohli on Tuesday said that the short break which he got from national duty has helped him to recover from a few ‘niggles’.

Kohli, who has opted out of the ongoing Nidahas T20I tri-series in Sri Lanka, has time and again spoken about managing workload of the Indian cricketers. But perhaps for the first time, the skipper acknowledged that the workload has started to take a toll on his body.

“Physically I had a few niggles, I am just getting over those. The workload has started to disagree with me a little bit. I have to be very careful about how I go forward with my body, my mind, my cricket. Times like these are very, very important. I am totally enjoying it; I do not even have an inch of me missing out on anything because my body really needed this,” Kohli said during a promotional event.

Kohli, credited for bringing about drastic changes in fitness standards in Indian cricket, said he is keeping a track of proceedings in Sri Lanka. “Yesterday (Monday) was a really good win for us. I am over the phase when I used to watch matches and feel I have to be on the field. (in the) IPL I will be coming out fresh, I will be mentally in a better place,” Kohli said.

Kohli said he admires tennis legend Roger Federer for the way he has been going about his business, taking adequate breaks in between and still staying at the top. Last month, the 36-year-old Swiss became the oldest in history to become the world No 1.

“Roger Federer is my ultimate favourite, just because of the way that belief shows when he plays and it is so beautiful, he has a family now, he has his priorities set and he takes time off the game without worrying about opinion and criticism and then he comes in and wins Grand Slams at 36. He is defying all logic so that is something that I totally love. I hate following the norm, and he is someone breaking all those barriers on a daily basis. I have a huge respect for him,” Kohli said.