'For Families With Small Children, It Was Difficult'

Family time on tour -- comforting or distracting?

That's the question at the heart of a growing debate after the BCCI tightened rules around players' families joining them overseas.

Virat Kohli has spoken out in favour of more family presence, while Hazel Keech, Yuvraj Singh's wife, has offered a more measured take, supporting the restrictions for the good of both players and the team.

Kohli, speaking at a recent Royal Challengers Bengaluru event, shared his personal take on the issue, saying he found having his family around to be mentally uplifting.

'If you ask any player, do you want your family to be around you all the time? You'll be like, yes. I don't want to go to my room and just sit alone and sulk,' Kohli said, reflecting on how family support can have a positive impact on a player's emotional well-being.

In an interview with ANI, Keech acknowledged the emotional strain players face on long tours but supported the idea of limiting family time for the greater benefit of both the team and individual performance.

'I can understand when Yuvi was playing international cricket, moving from one tournament to another, and he would be away for a long time,' she said. 'For families with small children, it was difficult to be apart for so long.'

'But when I used to watch his matches, Yuvi would always be concerned about me, which affected his focus on the game,' Keech added. 'So, allowing families to join for a limited time is beneficial in both ways.'

Yuvraj himself has previously admitted to being distracted on occasion, even recalling a match where a former partner showed up unannounced, impacting his concentration.