‘Even in a room full of people who support and love me, I felt alone’ - Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli, one of game’s modern-day greats, spoke on the importance of mental well-being, and spoke of the difficulties he has faced through his career.
 By CX Staff Writer Aug 18, 2022, 19:15 IST
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"If you lose that connection, it wouldn't take very long for other things to crumble around you."

Virat Kohli has been one of game’s ambassadors over more than a decade now, with countless accomplishments across formats since his international debut in 2008. Known as a highly positive, aggressive cricketer, Kohli has registered 70 hundreds across formats, a tally bettered only by yesteryear legends Ricky Ponting (71) and Sachin Tendulkar (100).

He had great success as a captain too, helping India to historic Test triumphs during his tenure, before being succeeded by Rohit Sharma in the role.

He has had a troubled time with the bat recently, with his last international hundred dating back to November 2019. After underwhelming returns on the England tour, he was granted a break from the team’s recent white-ball tour of the West Indies, and is now set to return for the upcoming Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE, beginning August 27.

The 33-year-old spoke how difficult it has been for athletes in the modern-day fast-tracked world, and highlighted the importance of mental well-being, while revisiting his own troubled times. 

"I personally have experienced times when even in a room full of people who support and love me, I felt alone, and I am sure that this is a feeling that a lot of people can relate to," Kohli told The Indian Express.

"It is definitely a serious issue and as much as we try to be strong at all times, it can tear you apart.

"If you lose that connection, it wouldn't take very long for other things to crumble around you."

Kohli, who has been vocal of mental-health in the past, and was acknowledged by Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell for helping him on the same, had revealed of his mental struggles after failures on the 2014 England tour, in May this year.

"It's not a great feeling to wake up knowing that you won't be able to score runs... I felt I was the loneliest guy in the world," he had said on a podcast with English commentator Mark Nicholas in February.

India will play arch-rivals Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2022 opener at the Dubai International Stadium on August 28.

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