Virat Kohli said stepping down from India captaincy left him mentally exhausted and “completely spent”, admitting leadership pressures consumed him. Speaking in Bengaluru, Kohli credited Rahul Dravid and Vikram Rathour for helping him rediscover the joy of cricket during his difficult phase in 2022. He said their care and understanding motivated him to perform again in Tests.
Bengaluru: Virat Kohli conceded that he went through a distressing phase after stepping down from India captaincy but profusely thanked Rahul Dravid and Vikram Rathour for helping rediscover the joy of playing cricket.
Kohli moved away from captaincy in 2022, and that year he tallied a mere 265 runs from six Tests at an average of 26.5 with just one fifty.
Dravid, who took over the stewardship of the Indian team in November 2021 along with batting coach Rathour, then rekindled the hunger in Kohli, putting a kind arm around the struggling star batter.
“Only when I left captaincy, I opened up and I shared a lot more with people like Rahul Bhai and Vikram Rathour. I had a great run in Test cricket in 2023 and whenever I meet them, I always thank them from the bottom of my heart.
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