Indian skipper Virat Kohli has stated that he is not sure whether playing behind closed doors would be able to create the same ‘magic’ as playing in front of a crowd-packed stadium.

Kohli added that although the games would continue to be competitive, the energy that the players feed off from the crowd would be missing.

“I have thought about it a lot. This is obviously a very possible situation. It might happen. I honestly don’t know how everyone is going to be able to take that,” Kohli said while speaking on ‘Just kidding’ with Virat Kohli on Star Sports’ Cricket Connected show. (via IANS)

“We are used to playing in front of so many passionate people. You feed off people’s energy on the ground. Whether you are playing in another country where the crowd is on the other side. You use that as a determination to keep fighting against all odds and that gives you a different kind of determination as you are competing not just with the XI but everyone who is in the stadium. There is a collective energy there which you have to fight against.

“In your own country, you feed off people’s energy and it takes you into a different direction where some things, as I said, might not seem possible, but that belief..that optimism from the whole crowd combined with the odds…takes you to another level which is quite difficult to re-create if you don’t have that environment around you.

“So…things might still happen..sport will go on but you might not see that kind of involvement in a passionate way,” he added.

“It will be played at a very good intensity but that feel of the crowd connecting with the players and that tension of the game…everyone feeling that tension around the stadium…those emotions are very difficult to re-create. So things will still go on. But I doubt you will feel something magical happening inside because of that atmosphere,” he further said.

“Apart from the 2011 (World Cup) final (which India won), my other favourite match from the atmosphere and importance of the game point of view, would be the 2016 T20 quarter-finals against Australia in Mohali,” Kohli said.

Several media reports, as well as expert opinions, hint towards live sport happening in empty stadiums in view of the COVID-19 pandemic that has halted all activities globally.

While a few athletes like the idea, others are against it.

(With quotes and inputs from IANS)