Kohli wary of his workload

Calcutta/Mumbai: India captain Virat Kohli, one of the fittest cricketers in the world, has acknowledged that the time has come that he listens to his body and manages his workload going forward in his career.

Kohli has been rested from the ongoing tri-nation T20I series in Sri Lanka.

"Physically, I had a few niggles, I am just getting over those. The workload has started to disagree (taking a toll) with me a little bit.

"I have to be very careful about how I go forward with my body, my mind, my cricket," Kohli said on the sidelines of a promotional event here on Tuesday.

Kohli said the break is helping him recover for fresh challenges ahead, starting with the upcoming edition of the IPL.

"Times like these are very-very important going ahead... I am totally enjoying it. I do not even have an inch of me missing out on anything because my body really needed this. Although I am keeping a track of the games, I do not watch matches right now and feel like I want to be on the field because I have started to listen to my body.

"And when I am done with this period, obviously in the IPL, I will be coming out fresh. I will be mentally in a better place on the field. I have been on the road for a long, long time.

"I have hardly missed any games. You need to pay respect to your body as well at times and this phase is very important to me," Kohli explained.

"I can sit and not move for hours. As much as the energy I show on the field, when I get time at home, I can be a total vegetable. I can be very annoying because I do not move at all," he quipped.

Virat's Royal Challengers Bangalore open their campaign in IPL 2018 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on April 8.

The Royal Challengers next play against Kings XI Punjab at home on April 13.

Starting with the IPL, Kohli will have a busy schedule in 2018. The Indian team will first tour England for a full-fledged series comprising all three formats. After returning from England, India in all probability will be playing in the Asia Cup. And then towards the end of the year, India will travel to Australia for another testing tour.

According to a report, India will host 81 matches across formats from 2019-2023, 30 more than the previous Future Tours Programme. That means that if Kohli has to play in all three formats, he will have to take proper care of his body.

Kohli is one of the five cricketers given an A+ Central contracts by the BCCI, considering that he is certain to play in all formats.

Recently, Kohli had missed India's third and final T20I of the series against South Africa due to a stiff back. Kohli had a great tour of South Africa where he led from the front.

In fact, he finished the ODI series against the Proteas with 558 runs at a mind-boggling average of 186 from six innings.

On a separate note, Kohli also expressed regard for tennis great player Roger Federer. "Roger Federer is my ultimate favourite. When he plays, it's so beautiful.

"He has a family now, priorities set, he takes time out of the game without worrying about opinions and criticism of people and then he comes in and wins Grand Slams at 36... He is defying all logics and that's something I totally love.

"I hate following the norm and he is someone who is breaking barriers on a daily basis and I have huge respect for him," Kohli said.

Ask Kohli, whom he would gift a watch and pat came the reply, Yuzvendra Chahal since, he is "always late".

"I will give him any watch just to keep a check on time."

The captain is enjoying his time off cricket and has been very busy on the social media. Recently, Virat and wife Anushka Sharma have moved into their luxurious apartment in Mumbai.