New Delhi, May 19 (H.S.): Former Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli has revealed that former head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour provided him immense mental support during one of the toughest phases of his career after he stepped down from captaincy. Kohli said the two coaches looked after him in such a way that he rediscovered the joy of playing cricket.

Speaking at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Kohli described the period following his resignation as Test captain as extremely challenging. Between 2020 and 2022, he endured a prolonged lean patch in Test cricket and went without a century for an extended period.

Kohli said, “I have said this many times before — I will always remain grateful for what Rahul Bhai and Vikram Rathour did for me. They took such good care of me that it reignited my desire to play for them, work hard and prove myself again.”

He added that both coaches constantly reminded him of his achievements, as players often fail to fully appreciate their own journey and accomplishments.

Kohli explained that a sense of insecurity always exists within a player. He said, “Even today, when I walk into the nets, I think about young players watching me. If I have a poor session, they might wonder whether this is really the same player who has been playing cricket for 20 years. That feeling never completely goes away.”

The former India captain said Rahul Dravid had personally experienced similar phases during his own career and therefore understood his mental state very well.

Kohli said, “Rahul Bhai had gone through all of this at the highest level himself. Vikram had also been with the team for a long time. Both of them understood what I was going through and took complete care of me mentally. That is why I was able to enjoy cricket again.”

Kohli also spoke candidly about his experience as captain. He said leadership is not just about strategy, but also about understanding players and helping them bring out their best performances.

He said, “When you are captain, you stop thinking about yourself. You become completely focused on the team. During that period, it never even crosses your mind that someone might ask how you are doing.”

Kohli admitted that toward the final phase of his captaincy, he realised that the constant responsibilities had mentally exhausted him.

He said, “For nearly nine years, nobody asked me how I was doing. However, I never looked at it as a complaint. If I were given the opportunity again, I would still lead in exactly the same way.”

Speaking on workload management, Kohli said players must first understand the limits of their own capabilities. He added that if a player begins managing workload too early in his career, he may never fully realise his true potential.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar