Virat Kohli gives thumbs up for GPS tracker to manage workload

Virat Kohli

Manchester: Team India can be in the UK for another week or so if they win today and progress to the July 14 final at Lord's. Being on the road for so long (49 days) can lead to fatigue, but the Indian players haven't shown any such signs so far in a tournament where they have lost just one out of their nine games with one match washed out.

The reason Virat Kohli's men look fresh and in peak physical condition is because of the GPS performance tracking system which the BCCI invested in before the World Cup. It is a Baselayer vest which has a pocket on the back to hold the GPS tracking instrument during activities.

The GPS tracker has helped the physio and trainer to evaluate player workload with solid data. Captain Kohli lauded the BCCI's decision to invest in GPS devices. "I would also give credit to the trainers and physios who took excellent care of our workload with the GPS tracker that we are playing with right now. If that device wasn't there, it would have been difficult to manage the workload of a player. Because we have the data available, we know exactly how much rest a player requires. So, these little things matter a lot," Kohli said yesterday.

Team performance is the eventual outcome, but there are contributions behind the scenes that help the players perform to their optimum. While other teams have opted for air or train travel and the occasional bus journey, the Indian team have travelled by bus throughout the competition. From logistics to training schedules, the backroom staff have planned meticulously. Kohli said creating a fine work-life balance was important: "Our intensity hasn't come down at any point of time. Our training, our recovery habits and inputs from the trainers and physios…all these factors are important in creating this balance."

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates