STAR batter Virat Kohli said he was in favour of families accompanying players while on tours, adding that he preferred their personal support to deal with tough and intense days on the field, instead of “sulking alone” in a hotel room.
India’s cricket board, the BCCI, issued a directive after the team’s 1-3 Test series defeat against Australia, in which family time for players was restricted to no more than 14 days on tours exceeding 45 days.
On shorter tours, the wife, children or girlfriends of players could be with them for a maximum of one week.
During the recently-concluded Champions Trophy, Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami were among those who had their families in Dubai, but they stayed away from the team hotel.
The expense of the families’ stay was borne by the players and not the BCCI.
In comments at the RCB’s [IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru] Innovation Lab summit in the city last Saturday (15), Kohli said, “The role of family is very difficult to explain to people… how grounding it is to just come back to your family every time you have something which is intense, which happens on the outside. I don’t think people have an understanding of what value it brings.
”Having one’s family would help a player to recover from onfield disappointments that much quicker, Kolhi added.
“I don’t want to go to my room and just sit alone and sulk. I want to be able to be normal. Then you can really treat your game as something that is a responsibility. Not in a vague sense, but in a very real way that you finish your commitment and then you come back to your house. You’re with family, and [there is] absolutely normalcy in your house and normal family life goes on.
“So, for me, that is absolutely a day of immense pleasure. I won’t miss any opportunities to spend time with my family whenever I can,” he added.
The 36-year-old father of two said that he was “disappointed” because people with no real connection with the issues have been involved in such discussions.
“I feel quite disappointed about that because it’s like people who have no control over what’s going on are brought into conversations and put out at the forefront of that –‘oh, maybe they [families] need to be kept away’.
“And if you ask any player, do you want your family to be around you all the time? You’ll be like, ‘yes’,” he said.
The batsman also revealed he may not have another tour of Australia left in him after his team’s humbling Test series defeat Down Under, but ruled out retiring any time soon as he still enjoyed playing the game too much.
Kohli arrested a long run of poor form with an unbeaten ton in the series opening Test in Perth in November, but frequently got out chased balls moving away from his stumps. He managed a total of 190 runs at an average of 23.75.
Kohli said the slump was reminiscent of his dismal run in England in 2014 where he made 134 runs.
“If you ask me the intensity of how disappointed I’ve been, the recent Australia tour would be the one that’s most fresh. So it might feel the most intense,” Kohli said.
“For a long time, the tour of England in 2014 bothered me the most. But I can’t look at it that way. I might not have an Australia tour again in four years. I don’t know. You have to make peace with whatever’s happened in your life.”
Kohli quit Twenty20Is after India’s World Cup win last year, but continues to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He remains a key member of India’s Test team, and played a big role in their 50-overs Champions Trophy triumph last week.
But Kohli conceded that staying at the top of his game was getting tougher with age.
“I want to be able to have all my energy in place. Now, it takes much more effort as people who have played the game for a long period of time understand. You can’t do so many things in your mid-to-late 30s that you can in your mid-20s. I’m at a bit of a different place in my life as well,” he said. “For me it’s a natural progression. I’m sure all these young guys will hopefully get to that place. But now, the energy that’s coming out of me feels very peaceful and calm.”
He added, “Me playing the game is not for achievements. It pretty much comes down to the pure joy and enjoyment and love for the game. As long as that love is intact, I’ll continue to play. I have to be honest about that with myself.
“Don’t get nervous, I’m not making any announcements. As of now everything’s fine.
Chandhok’s book delves into the intricacies of Formula One, offering behind-the-scenes insights and highlighting the journey of top drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Michael Schumacher. (Photo: X/@karunchandhok)
A new chapter: Karun Chandhok’s book brings F1 to young fans
KARUN CHANDHOK has spent decades immersed in motorsport – as a driver, commentator, and now an author.
His new book, Drive to Victory: Incredible True Stories from the Fastest Sport in the World, was released on February 13, and is aimed at young enthusiasts aged nine and above.
In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, Chandhok – one of only two Indian drivers to have competed in Formula One – spoke about his new book, the upcoming season and India’s relationship with the sport.
“There’s been a wave of interest in Formula One, including in India, since the Netflix show (Drive to Survive), and a lot of fans have come into the sport in the last four or five years,” Chandhok (41) said.
“For them, F1 started with Lando Norris or Max Verstappen.”
The idea to write a book about Formula One started unexpectedly – with a tweet.
“I put something out about tyres, and someone replied, ‘This is way too complicated. There’s no way kids would understand this.’ I replied, ‘Well, actually, my son is five, and he understands it,’” Chandhok recalled.
And that exchange sparked a realisation: while his children had the advantage of growing up with a father who worked in the sport, many young fans did not.
“It made me think – there are a lot of kids out there who love the sport but don’t have someone to explain it to them.
“Formula One is a wonderful sport with a rich history, but it’s also a complex one, probably the most complicated sport.”
Though the book is primarily aimed at children between the ages of nine and 15, Chandhok believes it could appeal to newcomers of all ages.
“I’m sure there’ll be stories in there even adults don’t know.”
Chandhok’s book delves into the intricacies of Formula One, offering behind-the-scenes insights and highlighting the journey of drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, George Russell, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and Jenson Button.
Chandhok said his goal was to simplify the complexities of the sport, making it accessible without diluting its essence. Most important, he wanted to fill a gap.
Chandhok’s journey into the sport was unconventional.
“I came from a country where there was no go-karting at the time. I never did a go-kart race in my life. There was no history in the sport (in India) – it was like someone from Peru or Mexico saying they wanted to play in the Cricket World Cup,” he said.
One of the stories in his book is about Brawn GP, the team that emerged from the remnants of Honda and won both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in 2009.
“They arrived in F1 for one season and became world champions. It had never happened before, and it will never happen again,” Chandhok said. He is aware of the significance of being one of just two Indian drivers to have reached F1.
“We are a country of 1.3 billion people, and there have been only two Formula One drivers. It’s a pretty exclusive club – Narain (Karthikeyan) and I should get ourselves gold card memberships,” he said, with a laugh.
India’s relationship with Formula One has been one of ups and downs. The early 2010s saw unprecedented excitement – two Indian drivers on the grid, an Indian Grand Prix, and the emergence of Force India as a competitive team.
Chandhok said, “In 2011, the Times of India had seven pages of coverage on F1, and the Hindu had six pages. That was crazy. Just three or four years before that, I was begging editors to write a single article about us.”
But after the Indian Grand Prix was discontinued and Force India disappeared from the grid, the momentum faded.
“The IPL (Indian Premier League) has taken cricket to a level that is stratospheric. But ultimately, it comes down to heroes. When Saina Nehwal or Sania Mirza were doing well, the country got excited.
“That’s what we’re missing right now – the next generation of drivers,” Chandhok said.
There have been some promising Indian names in Jehan Daruvala, Kush Maini, Arjun Maini, but none has yet broken through to Formula One.
Chandhok offered an insight into what sets apart the great drivers: “The world champions deliver every single weekend. I call them A+ stars. If you look at a 24-race season, they will deliver all 24 times. The A stars will deliver 20 times, but have a few off weekends. The B+ drivers will deliver, maybe 16 or 17 times. That’s the difference – consistency.”
Formula One, Chandhok said, is in a strong position with a new generation of talent.
“We have six rookies coming in this year, and they’re all strong competitors. At the same time, you’ve got Alonso (Fernando), Hamilton (Lewis), Verstappen – world champions who are still performing at the highest level.”
And his predictions for the 2025 season?
He said, “Max didn’t dominate last year. The first six weekends, yes, but after that, it was a real struggle for him to win. The last two-thirds of the season were fantastic, because we arrived at the track not knowing who would be on pole or who would win. That’s what we want as neutral fans, and I expect more of the same this year.”
Three key storylines stand out to him: “Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari – everyone is excited to see how that plays out. Can Lando Norris win his first championship? He was incredibly strong last year. And can Red Bull recover? They started strong but dropped off later in the season.”
For young drivers hoping to make it in motorsport, Chandhok has one important piece of advice: “Knowledge is key. If you want to be in the sport – whether as a driver, engineer, or mechanic – you need to educate yourself. Understand how it works.
“Keep your feet on the ground. Just because you win one race doesn’t mean you’re going to be world champion.”
Whether through commentary, writing, or mentoring young talent, Chandhok remains deeply involved in motorsport. As Formula One continues to grow globally, he said his hope is the book will inspire a new generation of fans, especially in India, to engage with the sport in a way that has never been done before.