Virat Kohli addressed the media after India’s defeat against Pakistan on Sunday in the Asia Cup. The arch-rivals brought the game right down to the penultimate ball of the chase. However, it ultimately ended up in Pakistan’s favor. While India’s bowling line-up suffered in the face of pressure, the batting fared well. And while the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul gave a massive start to the first innings, the rest couldn’t manage to get past the twenties.
However, amidst the dwindling lineup on one end, former captain Virat Kohli sustained on the other end. Moreover, Kohli scored a second consecutive half-century while anchoring the innings. Kohli’s game awareness and a swift score of 60 off 44 led the Indian side to a fighting score of 181. The batter came to this tournament after a break following his struggling form. And as Kohli continues to perform consistently well in the current tournament, he discussed his recent past struggle with form.
Virat Kohli opens up about his return to form
Virat Kohli in Asia Cup 2022:
35 (34) Vs Pakistan.
59* (44) Vs Hong Kong.
60 (44) Vs Pakistan.– King is back in form, what a player. King is back! pic.twitter.com/RqC6e6vQHr
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 4, 2022
Virat Kohli has been immensely discussed lately for his struggling form with everyone weighing in their opinion. Formerly, Kohli opened up about his struggle and the resulting decisions. And now in the latest interaction, Kohli gave insights about his preparation for the tournament and how he came out of the phase.
“Me being in a bad space is neither good for the team nor for me. I think no one should run away from this, if someone is feeling negative or low, taking a break isn’t a bad thing,” Kohli said before he further elaborated on the topic.
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“I didn’t think I’d go a month without touching my bat, but the situation became such that I had to take a break,” he said. “More mentally than physically. Then you realise when you bat again after a month why you started playing the game. That [realisation] is lost at times, the way people look at you, cheer for you when you’re at the ground, at such times you can lose that realisation.”
“That drive and purity for the game, that joy dissipates. It was important to rediscover that again for me. When I’m happy in my space, then I know what I can do for the team. Me being in a bad space is neither good for the team nor for me. I think no one should run away from this, if someone is feeling negative or low, taking a break isn’t a bad thing,” Kohli iterated.
“And I hope people will derive strength from that and address whatever they are feeling. We’re all human, everyone can feel this way. But to recognise that and care about it is important. If you ignore it, you will get more frustrated. This is something I realised and I got a lot of help. I’m happy, I’m excited and having fun playing cricket again, which was the most important thing for me,” added Virat Kohli.
