Virat Kohli was jaded in New Zealand tour, observes Mohammad Yousuf

It is no secret that Indian players have been overworked over the course of the past 18 months or so and none more so than skipper Virat Kohli. The Indian skipper, during the Tests against New Zealand, admitted that the all-format barrage could take a toll on his body as he continues to age but was quick to shut down any questions about giving up one particular format and stated that his body was prepared to slog it out for the next three years. 

And Kohli’s tiredness showed in his performances, too, as the Indian skipper could only manage a single fifty in the entirety of the tour. Former Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf observed the same and went on to label fitness as the single most important entity for a modern day cricketer. Yousuf further noted how players in this day and age, unlike the old times, cannot get away for not being fit. 

“It can happen to anyone when you play so much cricket. That is why I agree in modern day cricket fitness is paramount for players,” the former Pakistan batsman was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

“In our days we could manage. But my belief is that if a player is not fit he just can’t give perform to his potential.”

India’s tour of New Zealand during the turn of the year threw the entire cricketing world off guard, as the Kiwis, after getting blanked 5-0 in the T20Is, remarkably turned things around to whitewash the away side in both the ODIs and Tests. Yousuf had nothing but admiration for the Kiwis’ dominance at home and attested that they outclassed India for a vast majority of the tour. The 45-year-old also noted how the result was inevitable, given India’s packed schedule that was bound to make the players fatigued. 

“New Zealand has always been a tough side at home and they have only gotten better in recent years and don’t forget they have some top pace bowlers who are not easy to handle in their own conditions.

“New Zealand just played much better cricket than India and sometimes I feel there is so much cricket being played these days that it is inevitable that even the best players will get tired and fatigued at some stage.”