Virat Kohli opens up on his days of struggle | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Those were the days when Virat Kohli’s prolonged lean phase was a topic of discussion for every cricket fan but the Indian batter is back to doing what he does best since he scored a century against Afghanistan in T20 Asia Cup last year.
Kohli is also enjoying a sublime touch with the bat in the IPL 2023 scoring three half-centuries in four matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore so far.
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The former RCB skipper now opened up about his struggling days and how he reached a point where he accepted that it might be the last month of competitive cricket.
“The most important factor in that whole transnational period before the Asia Cup last year was the fact that I was willing to let go of everything. I was willing to accept that when I go back and play, it might be the last month of me playing competitive cricket and I am absolutely okay with it,” said Kohli in an interview with former India cricketer Robin Uthappa on Jio Cinema.
“Everyone was like we observe this and this is the solution for it. I couldn’t get the point across that whatever shortcoming is, there is because of this (pointing towards his head). When you are not right mentally, you are all over the place. There were no technical issues because I have done this for 15 years. It can’t be that all went to a standstill and the technical issues pop out right now. When I came back fresh and started hitting the ball again and people were like ‘oh you made some serious changes’. But I didn’t pick up the bat for six weeks,” said the former RCB captain.

After a wait of 1205 days, Kohli brought an end to his century drought in Test cricket, scoring his 75th international century and his 28th in Tests on March 12.
Kohli said that he felt the need to justify himself by delivering his “absolute best” and he was living with “a facade on top” due to constant expectations of people.
“My past performances did not give me a sense that I could do whatever I want. I felt I needed to justify myself for being there at all times. I need to make sure that I am giving my absolute best and if I cannot do that organically, something needs to change. It felt like I was living with a facade on top, felt made up and unnatural. I wanted to say that I want to live, how I want to live and if that means it is the end of the journey, so be it,” Kohli said.
“I met people all over the world and they wanted me to get a hundred to enjoy their cricket. I wondered if my achievements they wanted to see, were to make them…feel happy. I was feeling weighed down even more by this. I was like Man wherever I go, this is the only response I get and I don’t have many ppl asking me if I’m okay, or what’s going on. But it was like ‘We need, we need, we need’ at all times. It was difficult to process it and I couldn’t be normal at any place. I had these expectations flowing on me from every nook and corner and it became very intense,” he added.
(With ANI Inputs)