Gambhir contradicts Kohli on BCCI's controversial family rule for overseas tours: 'You are here for a purpose'

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has voiced his support for the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s new rule limiting the amount of time players could spend with their families. The former India opener said that while spending time with one’s family members is important, cricketers have to understand the “huge purpose” behind touring other nations, that representing the nation comes before everything else.

Coach Gambhir insists country comes before everything else

Gambhir’s comment on the topic, interestingly, is in direct contradiction with star batter Virat Kohli’s opinion on the matter, with the latter having publicly expressed his disapproval of the rule that was implemented following India’s horror run in the Test format from October to January.

“Families are important, but you’ve got to understand one thing. You are here for a purpose. It’s not a holiday. You’re here for a huge purpose. You’ve got very few people in that dressing room or in this tour that gets this opportunity to make the country proud. So yes, I’m not against not having families with us,” Gambhir said in a chat with Cheteshwar Pujara on the sidelines of the third Test against England at Lord’s.

“It is important to have families, but if your focus is towards making our country proud and you have a much bigger role than any other thing, and you’re committed to that goal, you’re committed to that cause, I think everything else is fine. But for me, I think that cause and that goal is more important than any other thing,” he added.

What Kohli had said on BCCI’s family rule earlier this year

The BCCI had set a limit of two weeks for family members to accompany players on an overseas tour spanning 45 or more days along with a host of other restrictions, including on private travel.

The rules were introduced following India’s stunning 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand at home that was followed by a 1-3 series loss in Australia, which resulted in the team surrendering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in nearly a decade.

Kohli, on the other hand, had expressed his disapproval over the rule in March by saying that no player wanted to sit alone in their hotel room and sulk after a tough day on the field, and wanted to “be normal” by spending quality time with their family members.

“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. I want to be able to be normal. And then you can really treat your game as something that is a responsibility. You finish that responsibility, and you come back to life,” Kohli had said at an event ahead of the 18th season of the Indian Premier League.

Despite Kohli’s public comment on the matter, the BCCI has remained firm on keeping the restriction on family members on overseas tours along with other rules in place, including in the ongoing tour of England.