Virat Kohli has credited former India head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour for helping him rediscover the joy of playing cricket after stepping down as India captain, saying the duo “genuinely took care” of him mentally during one of the toughest phases of his career.
Reflecting on the period following the end of his Test captaincy stint in 2022, Kohli admitted he went through a difficult phase in red-ball cricket, failing to score a Test century for nearly three years between 2020 and 2022. However, he said the support from Dravid and Rathour helped him regain confidence and enjoyment in the game.
“I’ve said this many times about Rahul bhai and Vikram Rathour. They took care of me in a way that made me feel like I wanted to play for them,” Kohli said at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit powered by Leaders at the Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru on Tuesday (May 19).
“I wanted to perform, work hard and grind because they were so caring and nurturing. They reminded me of everything I had achieved, something players rarely stop and think about,” he added.
Kohli enjoyed a visible turnaround in 2023, scoring two Test centuries at an average of 54.73 before producing a record-breaking campaign at the ICC ODI World Cup later that year.
The former India captain also opened up about the mental pressure that comes with leadership, revealing that captaincy often forced him to suppress his own emotions for the sake of the team.
“As players, you are always walking a thin line between being cautious and insecure. That imposter syndrome is always there,” Kohli said.
“Even today, when I go into the nets, I think youngsters are watching me. If I have a bad session, they might wonder, ‘Is this the guy who has been playing for 20 years?’ Rahul bhai understood that because he had experienced it himself at the highest level,” he explained.
Kohli said it was only towards the end of his captaincy tenure that he realised how emotionally draining the role had become.
“I looked back and realised that for almost nine years nobody had really asked me, ‘How are you doing?’ But I never saw it as a complaint. If I had to do it all over again, I would approach leadership the exact same way,” he said.
Kohli also shared his thoughts on workload management, stressing that players should first understand their physical and mental limits before trying to slow things down.
“I don’t really believe in managing workload too early in your journey. First, you need to understand your maximum limit. Only then can you find the right balance. If you start managing too early, you may never reach your full potential,” Kohli added.
