Virat Kohli demands schedule changes to avoid 'cooked' players as bubble life continues at 2021 IPL

Indian Premier League starts on April 9 and players will have to go through more restrictions

T. Natarajan bowled an excellent last over as India defeated England by seven runs in the third ODI in Pune to take the series 2-1. Reuters

England's Sam Curran hit an unbeaten 95 in the third ODI against India in Pune on Sunday but still ended up on the losing side. Reuters

England's Sam Curran was the star of the show for the visitors in the third ODI against India at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. AP

India's captain Virat Kohli, left, and Shardul Thakur, right celebrate with teammates the dismissal of England's Adil Rashid. AP

Mark Wood and Sam Curran reviced England with a 60-run partnership. Getty

England's Jason Roy is bowled by India's Bhuvneshwar Kumar. AP

India's Shikhar Dhawan made an attacking fifty in Pune on Sunday. AP

India's Rishabh Pant hit 78 against England in the third ODI. AFP

India's Hardik Pandya scored 64 off 44 balls. AFP

England's Mark Wood picked up three wickets. Reuters

Virat Kohli was warned that cricketers are getting "cooked" after spending months in bio-secure setups during the coronavirus pandemic as players get set for another bubble for the Indian Premier League.

India captain Kohli raised his concerns after his side edged England by seven runs in a thrilling decider to clinch the one-day series 2-1 in Pune on Sunday.

Players from both teams moved on immediately to join their squads for the world's richest franchise Twenty20 tournament, which starts on April 9, and all will have to go through restrictions again.

"Scheduling needs to be looked at in future, because playing in 'bubbles' for so long, two to three months, is going to be very, very difficult going forward," Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Kohli said.

"You can't expect everyone to be at the same level of mental strength. Some times you do get cooked and you do feel like a bit of a change.

"I am sure things will be discussed and things will change in the future as well. But a different tournament, it brings fresh challenges heading into the IPL."

From September until January, India's players went through similar quarantine and isolation regimes in the delayed 2020 IPL in the UAE and their tour of Australia before having a short break ahead of the home England series which comprised four Tests, five Twenty20 matches and three one-day internationals.

England's rest-and-rotate policy ensured players had breaks during their three months touring Sri Lanka, where they played two Tests, and India.

England players including Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (both Rajasthan Royals), Jonny Bairstow (Sunrisers Hyderabad) and Sam Curran (Chennai Super Kings) are staying on to join the IPL.

Buttler said he was "excited" to take part in the tournament which lasts until May 30 and said England management had kept players in top mental and physical shape.

"It's been great that everyone's health has been really looked after and whenever it's possible to get out of the 'bubble' and back in," said Buttler, who stood in as captain for injured Eoin Morgan in the last two one-day internationals.

"So we are all very thankful of that to help with those situations and also it's about how we plan moving forward. That's going to be part of player welfare."

Curran, who said he had come back "refreshed" after going home during the four Tests, hit a valiant unbeaten 95 in the final ODI.

"It's another learning series for me, really enjoyed it and I feel like it has given me lot of confidence going into the IPL," said Curran after his man-of-the-match performance in England's narrow defeat to India on Sunday.

England, who have already played six Tests this year, have an intensive calendar ahead and are scheduled to play another 12 Tests by January 2022, five at home against India, two against New Zealand and five away in Australia.

They will also have limited-overs series at home against Sri Lanka and Pakistan before they return to India for the Twenty20 World Cup in October.