IPL building player relationships: Kohli

Critics have accused the Indian Premier League of many things – interfering with the international calendar, undermining Test matches, ruining players’ techniques and overpaying them – but one of its stars has credited the lucrative Twenty20 tournament with bringing players from around the world closer together.

In his exclusive interview with Glenn Maxwell for cricket.com.au, Virat Kohli revealed how the IPL has helped international cricketers to better understand one another.

“You form perceptions without knowing people,” Kohli told Maxwell during their one-on-one. “I think the IPL lifts those boundaries and actually helps you to be friends with players you play against and not just players who you play alongside.

“I think it’s making people fonder of each other, creating strong bonds.

“But (players) are still competitive on the field.”

Kohli’s competitiveness has been on full-display this summer.

In ‘discussions’ picked up by stump microphones during the Victoria Bitter One-Day International match in Melbourne, Kohli told Australian feisty all-rounder James Faulkner that, “I've smashed you enough in my life ... just go and bowl.”

Kohli, the captain of IPL side Royal Challengers Bangalore, was adamant that there was nothing sinister in his exchanges with Faulkner.

“James and I have always been at each other whenever we’ve played and you know James likes to talk a lot on the field,” Kohli said.

“It’s been friendly banter to be honest – there’s been no swearing, no bad words, nothing inappropriate being said. It’s been friendly banter and I’ve really enjoyed it.

“He’s competitive, which I like, and I like to be competitive on the field as well. It’s been enjoyable, I’m glad he came out and gave me a fight.”

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Despite a couple of on-field incidents between the two sides in recent series, relationships between Australian and Indian players have undoubtedly improved.

The bitter dispute between Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh during the 2007-08 Australian summer, which nearly saw the Indians abandon their tour, serves as a recent reminder of tense feelings between the two nations.

For the current crop of players, that incident is history.

Kohli’s glowing personal praise for injured Aussie spearhead Mitchell Starc – the pair have played two IPL seasons together at Bangalore – is an indication of the changed nature of relationships between Indian and Australian players.

“(Players) get to know each other very well,” Kohli said in his interview with Maxwell.

“If I never got to know ‘Starcy’ I would never know what a sweet guy he is.”

“He’s a wonderful human being.”

A number of Australians are set to go under the hammer at the player auction for IPL9 this Saturday.