Indian skipper Virat Kohli is one of the most consistent and successful batsmen of modern-day cricket. His attacking mindset and tough character has helped him to overcome all the obstacles of his life.
Kohli literally ruled the past decade by scoring maximum runs from his willow. But there was a time when he had no clue what was going on in his life. In an exclusive conversation with renowned commentator Mark Nicholas, Kohli has revealed how he went through depression during India’s tour of England in 2014.
The Delhi-lad said that he felt like the ‘loneliest guy in the world’. Kohli had registered scores of 1, 8, 25, 0, 39, 28, 0,7, 6 and 20 in five Tests during that tour, averaging just 13.50 in his 10 innings.
“Yes, I did… it’s not a great feeling to wake up knowing that you won’t be able to score runs, and I think all batsmen have felt that at some stage that you are not in control of anything at all,” said Kohli when asked whether he had suffered from depression at the time.
Kohli recalled how helpless he felt during that tour as he was unable to change the things at all.
“You just don’t understand how to get over it. That was a phase when I literally couldn’t do anything to overturn things…I felt like I was the loneliest guy in the world,” added Kohli.
The 32-year-old stated that he felt alone even though there were supportive people around him.
“Personally, for me, that was a revelation that you could feel that lonely even though you a part of a big group. I won’t say I didn’t have people who I could speak to but not having a professional to speak to who could understand what I am going through completely, I think, is a huge factor,” Kohli added further.
The star Indian captain is currently in Ahmedabad for ongoing four-match home Test series against England. Both the sides have won a game each and will contest in the third Test starting from February 24.