‘Some abuse must have happened’: Aakash Chopra on BCCI enforcing mandatory travel rules for players – The Times of India

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has expressed surprise over the BCCI‘s decision to enforce mandatory travel rules for players, requiring them to travel together with the team for matches and practice sessions. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra questioned the necessity of such a regulation and suggested it might have been introduced due to prior misuse.
“Players cannot travel separately with families.

All players are expected to travel with the team to and from matches and practice sessions. I am extremely surprised by this rule. Going for practice or the match is with the team only,” Chopra said. “This has been happening forever. If someone wants to practice more, they request the coach. But has someone been leaving early? Some abuse must have happened; that’s why this rule is being enforced,” he added.
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The BCCI’s decision follows a review meeting held after India’s 1-3 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, attended by captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
Referencing recent incidents, Chopra clarified that isolated lapses, like Yashasvi Jaiswal reportedly arriving late to a session, do not reflect a widespread issue. “I am pretty sure everyone wouldn’t have been flouting the rule. Yashasvi Jaiswal couldn’t reach recently, and he got punished for being late. That’s a different story,” he explained.
Chopra also highlighted the importance of accountability for those who might have allowed exceptions in the past. “If someone claims they don’t need to travel with the team because they’re staying elsewhere or it’s their city, then whoever permitted this should be called out,” he asserted.
The new rule requires players seeking to travel separately to obtain permission from both the head coach and the chairman of selectors. While acknowledging that such regulations might feel overly strict, Chopra remarked, “Such things are bound to happen if rules are abused.”