The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may rethink about relaxing the rules on families accompanying players during overseas tours of Indian cricket team. This issues comes under rethink after Virat Kohli expressed his disappointment with the current policy.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may rethink making changes to its family stay policy if players want to have their family members and close ones accompany them on tour for extended periods, according to sources. Family members will be permitted to stay with players and support staff for longer than the current rules allow, allocated players obtain earlier approval from the board.
This issue of Changes in rules comes just days after Virat Kohli expressed his disappointment with the policy, underlining the importance of players spending time with their loved ones after high-intensity matches, specially on overseas tours.
A top BCCI source told “Players can apply for permission if they want their families to stay longer on tours. The BCCI will make a decision as it sees fit.”
The BCCI introduced a 10-point disciplinary guideline
The BCCI produced a 10-point disciplinary guideline for senior men’s team players following the disastrous tour of Australia earlier in 2025, restricting the time families were permitted to stay with players on overseas tours. Regarding the restrictions on family travel were reproduced after being relaxed during the COVID-19 pandemic, following a review meeting with head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Rohit Sharma after the completion of Australia tour.
During the meeting, Indian cricket coach Gautam Gambhir had reportedly raised the issues about a lack of cohesion in the dressing room, prompting the BCCI to implement stricter measures.
The current family policy say-
*Players who absent from India for more than 45 days during overseas tours can be joined their partners and children (Under 18) for one visit per series (format-wise) of up to a two-week period.
*The BCCI will cover shared accommodation with the player for the visitor’s period. Rest other expenses are to be carry by the player.
* Visits must be scheduled at a single time during dates agreed upon by the Coach, Captain and GM Operations.
*Any deviation from this policy must be pre-approved by the coach, captain and GM Operations. Additional expenses outside the visitor’s period will not be afford by the BCCI.
At a recent promotional event in the lead-up to IPL 2025, Virat Kohli had raised the issue against the restrictions on family travel.
The former skipper told, in a strongly-worded statement that “If you ask any player, do you want your family to be around you all the time? You will 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,”
“I think that is a cricket board’s call. Mine is, yes, you need a family, but yes, you need a team also all the time. In our time, we used to say to ourselves, not by the cricket board, the first half let me play cricket. In the second half, the families should come there and enjoy it too, It should be blend,” Kapil Dev told.
