Ravi Shastri explains why Virat Kohli was rested for Asia Cup 2018

Indian coach Ravi Shastri has cleared the air on why skipper Virat Kohli was rested during the recently-concluded Asia Cup 2018. Shastri said Virat needed this rest and it was a case of mental fatigue and giving him the break would ensure that he takes his mind off the sport and comes back fresh.

"Virat needed this rest. Physically he is a bull. You can't give him out of the ground. And the thing with Virat is if he plays, then you know the level of intensity he brings. So it was a case of just mental fatigue, giving him a break, take your mind off cricket and then come back fresh," he was quoted as saying by Gulf News.

He also added that the same process will be followed for other players in the squad as well. He pointed out the case of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who were rested for the upcoming Test series against West Indies as the team management wanted to preserve them and keep them fresh for the future tournaments.

"And we will have to do it with a lot of other players. You know like Bumah (Jasprit Bumrah), Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), we have to sustain them and keep them energetic," he added.

Virat was rested during the Asia Cup and in his place, Rohit Sharma led the team well and took them to their seventh Asia Cup title. Rohit starred both as a captain and as a batsman as he, along with Shikhar Dhawan, scored consistently throughout the tournament and helped the team lift the trophy.

After a month-long break, Virat will be leading the Indian team in the upcoming two-match Test series against the visiting West Indies. The first of the two matches will be played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association stadium in Rajkot and will get underway on October 4.