'Didn't touch my bat for a month for first time in 10 years': Virat Kohli on his mentality before Asia Cup
Speaking about his break in the lead-up to Asia Cup 2022, Virat Kohli has spoken at length about his mental health, and how he coped with the pressure
Virat Kohli was rested for India's tour of West Indies and Zimbabwe, meaning he missed out on nearly a month of cricket, and much to the surprise of cricket fans, in a recent interview, he revealed that he didn't touch his bat during that period.
Before the break, Kohli had struggled for runs, and many former cricketers had urged the 33-year-old old to take some time away from the cricket field. He listened to that advice and spent some time away from all the noise.
In a recent video shared by Star Sports, the former Indian skipper opened up on his mental health, how this period away from cricket taught him a lot, and how he wasn't afraid to express his emotion, admitting that it's okay to be mentally down.
"For the first time in 10 years, I didn't touch my bat for a month. I came to realisation that I was trying to fake my intensity a bit recently. I was convincing myself that no, you had the intensity. But your body was telling you to stop. The mind was telling me to take a break and step back," said Kohli.
He continued, "I'm looked at as a guy who is mentally very strong and I am. But everyone has a limit and you need to recognize that limit, otherwise things can get unhealthy for you."
"This period taught me a lot of things that I wasn't allowing to come to surface. When they eventually came up, I embraced it," he added further.
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If there's one thing about the talismanic Indian batter, it's that he never shies away from speaking what is on his mind. During this lean patch, Virat admitted that he was 'mentally down' but he urged that its okay to admit that, and one shouldn't hesitate to talk about such issues.
"I'm not shy to admit that I was feeling mentally down. This is a very normal thing to feel, but we don't speak because we are hesitant. We don't want to be looked at as mentally weak. Trust me, faking to be strong is far worse than admitting to be weak," stated Kohli.
Against Pakistan, on Sunday, he will be playing in the 100th T20I match of his career, and given the occasion, fans will be hoping for a memorable performance from the legendary cricketer.