Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket team’s captain and a stalwart of the game, has returned to his former self, after experiencing a forgettable stretch from 2020 to mid-2022. During this time, the 34-year-old found it difficult to reach the three-figure threshold across formats, leading to criticism of his performance and position in the Indian squad. While Kohli had earlier said that only MS Dhoni reached out to him during his rough patch, he recently revealed that Robin Uthappa had also contacted him.
Speaking in an interview with Uthappa, broadcast by JioCinema, Kohli said that he was not comfortable with himself during the testing period and was looking for all kinds of excuses. Uthappa’s contact was significant, as he sensed something from Kohli’s body language and asked, “Are you okay? Just wanted to check in on you.” Kohli said that many people had been giving him different options to break free without realizing that his real issue was elsewhere.
According to Kohli, his lean patch was not due to technical issues, as he had been playing for 15 years, but rather because of his mental state. “When you are not right mentally, you are all over the place,” he said. “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.”
Kohli also spoke about how Dhoni had reached out to him during the rough patch, and how the former India skipper had mentioned in his message that people forget to ask how a strong individual is doing. He said that it was significant for someone like Dhoni, who rarely picks up his phone, to reach out to him, which made him realize how genuine their relationship was.
Kohli’s return to form has been a welcome relief for Indian cricket fans, and his recent revelation about Uthappa’s support during his rough patch highlights the importance of mental health in sports. It shows that a small gesture of checking in on someone can make a huge difference, and that even the strongest individuals can go through tough times.
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