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'Didn't Want To Look Weak': When Virat Kohli Confessed Dealing With Mental Health Crisis

Virat Kohli once stressed on the importance of mental well being among athletes (@livelinecricket/X.com)Virat Kohli once stressed on the importance of mental well being among athletes (@livelinecricket/X.com)

In 2022, Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli opened up about his mental health struggles during a difficult phase in his cricketing career, which coincided with a prolonged run of poor form. Kohli admitted that he had been faking intensity and pretending everything was fine, while in reality, he was mentally exhausted.

Virat Kohli, one of India's finest cricketing talents, is known to be the powerhouse of hard work, passion, resilience, and perseverance on the field. When he's locked in on the crease, no greater force in the world can shake him. However, even the mightiest heroes have their weak moments, as they are too human at the end of the day.

Virat Kohli hit rock bottom in 2013-14 when struggled to get runs in the Test format. He went over three months without scoring a half century and feared getting dropped from the team.

Years later, Kohli encountered a century drought of 3 years after the Covid pandemic era, which further took a toll on his mental health. 

Virat Kohli once highlighted mental health struggles in athlete's life

In a world where mental health conversations are still a taboo, Kohli opened up on his battle with depression in mainstream media. He confessed that for the first time in a decade, he took a month-long break without touching a bat, skipping tours to the West Indies and Zimbabwe.

In an interview with Star Sports, Kohli acknowledged that constantly trying to push through the exhaustion had taken a toll on his mental well-being. Despite being known for his strong mental fortitude and aggressive style, he admitted feeling mentally down and realised he needed a break.

 “I’m looked at as a guy who is mentally very strong, and I am. But everyone has a limit, and you need to recognise that limit, otherwise, things can get unhealthy for you. 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 … we don’t want to be looked at as mentally weak. Trust me, faking to be strong is far worse and that’s something that I’m not feeling any shame for, that I was feeling mentally weak," he said.

The star batter further stated the importance of recognising one's mental limits and highlighted that it's okay to talk about mental health, stressing that pretending to be strong can be harmful.

Virat Kohli was eventually able to break the shackles with a T20I century against Afghanistan in Asia Cup 2022.