Virat Kohli opens up about the mental and lifestyle adjustments that propelled him to the top. Get ready for a masterclass on what it takes to deliver peak performance. Follow for daily cricket hot takes — new opinion every day! ⚡
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00:00I never dreamt of something like this ever.
00:03I wanted to play for India.
00:04I wanted to play for a long time,
00:06but whatever's unfolded, whatever's happened,
00:08there is no chance.
00:10I'm in disbelief always.
00:11Whenever I look back, I look at myself
00:13with my kid back on my bicycle,
00:15like going to practice in the afternoon at 10 years old.
00:18From that kid to now when you enter ground,
00:20is there one thing that has always remained the same?
00:22You step onto the field?
00:24Yeah, I never get late for practice.
00:46Leading a nation, especially like India,
00:48it came to you at a time when you were already
00:50at the peak of your own prowess
00:52when it comes to batsmanship and performance.
00:54So kind of finding the balance between these two,
00:57whether they fed off into each other,
00:59help me understand mentally, what did it take?
01:03What did it take out of you?
01:04What did it do to you?
01:05What did it change?
01:06Were there times where you felt like
01:08these are the signs of burnout?
01:10And if so, how did you bring yourself back from it?
01:12Actually, no one's really asked me this question ever
01:17because interestingly,
01:18I ended up being in a place
01:20where I became the focal point of our batting unit.
01:24And then I became the focal point of leadership.
01:26I didn't realize how much of load
01:28both those things will present in my daily life,
01:33to be honest.
01:34But because I was so driven and motivated
01:36to just make sure that Indian cricket stays on top,
01:39I didn't really pay attention to it.
01:40And that's precisely why by the time I left captaincy,
01:43I was completely spent.
01:44Like there was nothing left in the tank to give.
01:48And I was completely consumed by it.
01:50So yes, it was gruesome.
01:52It was difficult to manage expectations of,
01:56okay, if you win, you don't score runs,
01:58then you're asked about your performances.
02:00And if you perform and you don't win,
02:01you ask about the results.
02:02So I was always like juggling between the two
02:05and try to manage as best as I could.
02:09My prime focus was to make sure the team is secure,
02:11that insecurity doesn't enter the change room.
02:14And for that, I have to, of course,
02:16give massive credit to the management,
02:18Ravishastri and the team and, you know,
02:20all the coaches that I've worked with
02:22to be able to take responsibility
02:24and maintain a culture or create that environment
02:26where nothing could filter into the change room.
02:30Once that door is shut, the outside noise goes away.
02:33I will defend the team with all my might
02:35and with everything I have in front of the world.
02:38And behind that door, I'll be brutally honest
02:41because we want to improve.
02:42So you don't really go out there
02:44and start, you know, throwing people under the bus.
02:46You don't do that.
02:47You take the hits.
02:49That's why you're being given leadership.
02:50And you come back and you lay down the expectations
02:53and give responsibility and ownership to each one
02:56to kind of, you know, grow into their roles.
02:58So I was enjoying all of that
03:00for a long period of time, to be honest.
03:02That actually helped me to take focus
03:04of my own performances.
03:05And that helped me to play better
03:06to a point where eventually when, you know,
03:09the form doesn't quite stay for as long as possible,
03:11then, yeah, both those responsibilities start weighing on you.
03:15So it was tough.
03:16It was gruesome.
03:17But thankfully, you know, I'm made in a way
03:21that I want more and more responsibility and load.
03:25And I seem to be at my optimal best.
03:29It actually takes away all the distractions,
03:31if I have to be brutally honest.
03:33You have no time to think about yourself.
03:35And that's such a beautiful place to be in
03:37because then you can play beyond your own insecurities
03:40and what you might be feeling on a particular day
03:42and perform beyond your limitations.
03:44So who did think about you
03:45when you're talking about peak participation and captainship?
03:49Who thought about you?
03:50What was your outlet to just get you through those?
03:52We're not talking about a couple of years.
03:54We're talking about close to a decade
03:55when you were in that phase.
03:56In the cricket world,
03:57it's very difficult for people to understand.
03:59The reason why you're given a leadership role
04:01is because people believe that you can take a lot more
04:04and you manage.
04:06That's why it's more of a managing job than, you know,
04:10even coaching.
04:11I feel like it's more man management
04:13than teaching players how to play.
04:16Understanding the people that are playing with you,
04:20playing for you and how to get the best out of them.
04:22So you have to constantly be in a space
04:24where you're not focused on yourself, as I said.
04:26You don't even think about
04:27whether someone's going to ask you,
04:29are you okay?
04:30Like, that thought even doesn't cross your mind.
04:33It was still in a space where I was captaining.
04:35Only when I left captaincy,
04:36I opened up and I shared more.
04:38And people, you know, really,
04:40like Rahul Bhai and Vikram Rathur, for example,
04:43I've said this many times.
04:44I had a great run in test cricket in 2023.
04:48And I always, like,
04:49whenever I see them,
04:50whenever I meet them,
04:51I always thank them, like,
04:52from the bottom of my heart
04:53because they really took care of me
04:55in a way that made me feel like
04:57I want to play for them, you know?
04:59I want to perform.
05:00I want to go out there.
05:02I want to grind it out.
05:03I want to, you know,
05:03do the hard work for them
05:04because they were so caring and nurturing.
05:06And they made me realize
05:08what I have done so far,
05:09which obviously you can't sit down
05:11and think,
05:11oh, I've done this and that
05:12and I've scored so many runs.
05:14And as a player,
05:15not many people know
05:16you're always, you know,
05:19on a track where
05:20it's a very thin line
05:21between being cautious
05:24and being insecure.
05:25You always feel like
05:27you're never good enough.
05:27And that's the, you know,
05:29imposter syndrome,
05:30if I may mention,
05:32that we always,
05:33like, even if I go to the nets today,
05:35I feel like at this stage,
05:37like, these youngsters are watching.
05:38And if I have bad net session,
05:40they're going to be like,
05:42this is the guy
05:42who's been playing for 20 years.
05:44So that's always
05:44at the back of your mind.
05:45Like, you have to keep up
05:46with your own standards, you know.
05:48So they understood that
05:51because Raul Bayh, of course,
05:52has done that, you know,
05:55way better than a lot of people
05:56in test cricket
05:58at the highest level.
05:59Vikram Rathor has been around
06:00for so many years.
06:02So they understood
06:02what I was feeling
06:03and they could relate to it.
06:05And they really took care
06:06of me mentally.
06:06So that really, you know,
06:09put me in a space
06:09where I could enjoy
06:10my cricket again.
06:11But yeah, when I was
06:12in the thick of things,
06:13I never really felt like
06:14I wanted someone to ask me.
06:16I was pretty okay
06:17with managing everything.
06:19And I would, as I said,
06:20I would do it
06:21the same way over again.
06:22You said now this is
06:23your daily life,
06:24you know, eating good,
06:25working out,
06:26it's your daily life.
06:27But to get there,
06:28what did it take
06:29for it to become
06:30your normal life?
06:31At the back of your head,
06:32you always feel like
06:34if you are not
06:35the best version of yourself
06:36every day in your profession,
06:38for me, of course,
06:39my physical condition,
06:41my fitness,
06:42my health
06:43is the most important thing.
06:45And that in turn,
06:46of course,
06:46helps me mentally
06:47when you're fit,
06:48when you're healthy,
06:48you feel like you can do
06:50anything on the field.
06:50The responsibility
06:51that I had
06:52where I had to be
06:53at my best every day,
06:54even at training,
06:55because that's the way
06:56I like to operate.
06:57I would like to lead
06:58like even fielding sessions
06:59or batting sessions,
07:00like I would do it
07:01with full intensity
07:03so that it relates
07:04to the players
07:05in a way that,
07:06okay, this is what
07:06is said in the meeting
07:07and now we're seeing
07:08it on the field.
07:09So if I'm not that version
07:11of myself every day,
07:12I lose the change room,
07:14I lose the players
07:15and you can't afford
07:16to do that.
07:17And I would also like
07:17to say this
07:18because cricket is
07:19in such prime focus
07:21in terms of sports
07:22in our country,
07:22especially,
07:23you tend to neglect
07:25a lot of the other sports.
07:27We are not like,
07:28we're not even 15%
07:30of the fitness
07:31of an Indian hockey player.
07:33If I have to be brutally honest,
07:35but they are not in focus.
07:36Like if they look
07:37at our training,
07:38they'll probably laugh,
07:39you know,
07:40but their sport
07:41demands way more.
07:42So I don't think
07:42it's a thing
07:43to be celebrated
07:45in a way that you think,
07:46oh, this guy is great
07:47or whatever.
07:48This should be a norm.
07:50That's how the culture
07:50of the sport goes up.
07:53There is such a big conversation
07:54right now doing the rounds
07:55about how important
07:56it is for this generation
07:58to be all format players
08:00or at least pay attention
08:02to red ball
08:02or the way that you grew up
08:04admiring and loving
08:05red ball cricket as well.
08:06Can they do it?
08:07Because you maintained
08:09a 50 average
08:10across three formats.
08:11I mean,
08:11it's extraordinary
08:12to be able to do that.
08:14Can they do it?
08:14What will it take
08:15to be able to at least
08:16apply yourselves
08:17across three different formats?
08:19It's the drive.
08:21It's a lot of people
08:22relate drive
08:23to money nowadays.
08:25It's not necessarily,
08:27for me,
08:27it's not the only factor.
08:28Yes,
08:29it's a big factor
08:29because
08:31when a format
08:33that gives you
08:34the hype
08:35and
08:36the recognition,
08:37the fame
08:38by scoring
08:39a 40 or a 50
08:40or 20 balls
08:41and the kind of money
08:42that people can make
08:44in the IPL today,
08:45it can put you
08:46in a very comfortable space
08:47and say,
08:47you know what,
08:48this is brilliant.
08:49I don't need to handle
08:49pressure for too long.
08:50I can just go out there
08:51and smash the ball.
08:52Or,
08:53you can say,
08:55I want to play
08:55for 15,
08:5620 years.
08:57I want to get
08:59recognition and respect
09:00of the cricketing world,
09:01of my own heroes
09:03and I want to fulfill
09:04this opportunity.
09:05That's a very different zone.
09:07You have to be very driven
09:08to be able to say,
09:09I'm going to commit to this
09:10for the next 10,
09:1115 years
09:12and it's going to be
09:12very, very hard
09:13but I'm up for it.
09:14I look at you
09:15and I always think,
09:15you know,
09:16he's confident.
09:16He's a guy who knows
09:17what he's doing.
09:18Have there been stage
09:19where you're just kind of
09:20talking yourself into it
09:21before you actually
09:22are confident?
09:23Many occasions like that,
09:252014 England Tour
09:27was the toughest
09:28cricketing phase
09:29I've encountered
09:30and I often speak
09:32about that
09:32because I was trying
09:33to be confident.
09:34Honestly,
09:35I was trying
09:35to be confident
09:36every day
09:37throughout that test series.
09:38I would wake up
09:39in the morning
09:40and I just knew
09:41I'm going to fail
09:42and I could not even
09:45like stop myself
09:46from playing.
09:47It was weird.
09:48I knew I'm going to play
09:49and I knew I'm going to fail
09:50and I was like,
09:51how do I handle this?
09:52Like,
09:52I haven't experienced
09:53this ever.
09:54When you're not playing,
09:55you have some space
09:56to work on your game,
09:57whatever.
09:57I was like,
09:58in three hours
09:59I'd be at the crease
10:00and I know I cannot perform.
10:01How do I manage this?
10:03Because I can't go
10:04to the team management
10:05and say,
10:05I don't want to play.
10:08Your competitive voice
10:09in your head
10:09is saying,
10:10you have to do it.
10:11You have to try
10:12and do it.
10:13But then,
10:14the understanding
10:15is that,
10:16again,
10:16there's a very strong
10:17feeling that I'm not
10:18going to succeed today.
10:19So I went through
10:20that whole phase
10:21where I was trying
10:21to be confident,
10:22I was practicing hard,
10:23this, that and the other.
10:24And then the test series
10:26finished
10:27and I clearly remember
10:29we had an ODI series
10:31straight after
10:32and I went to play
10:33the first game
10:34and I was walking
10:36into bat
10:38and the same kind
10:39of thoughts
10:40started.
10:41I was confident,
10:42prepared well,
10:43wide ball cricket,
10:44whatever.
10:44I was walking
10:45into bat
10:45and I literally,
10:47my legs started
10:48shivering again.
10:48I was like,
10:50I prepared so well
10:51for the last
10:51five, six days
10:52and I'm approaching
10:53the crease
10:54and my legs
10:54are shaking.
10:55Like,
10:57I was in disbelief.
10:58I took guard
11:00and before
11:01the bowler
11:02could start running
11:03in,
11:03I promised myself
11:04one thing.
11:05I'm going to try
11:06to hit
11:07every ball
11:08out of this ground.
11:12and in a way
11:13that to,
11:15you know,
11:16kind of
11:17break the shackles
11:19mentally
11:19and I got out
11:20for zero
11:22but I smashed
11:24the ball
11:24to the fielder
11:25at mid-off
11:26and while I was
11:27walking out
11:28I felt so good.
11:30I was like,
11:31that's because
11:32I was so desperate
11:33to take that chance.
11:36Although it was
11:37still a failure
11:37but I knew
11:39mentally
11:39that something
11:40had switched.
11:41The results
11:42were not immediate.
11:43I experienced
11:44the results
11:44five months later
11:45but my mind
11:47went back
11:47to that moment
11:48and it always
11:48goes back
11:49to that moment.
11:50Congratulations
11:50once again
11:51for playoffs.
11:52Yet another playoffs.
11:53A chance to do that.
11:54How exciting
11:55to be on this journey.
11:56It's brilliant.
11:57Like,
11:57this is a new era.
11:58How exciting
11:58is it to be part
11:59of that setup again
12:00and be on this rush again?
12:01Yeah, great.
12:02That's exactly
12:03what you turn up for.
12:04That's exactly
12:04what we set out
12:05to achieve
12:06and we've done it
12:07and without any
12:08doubt or hesitation
12:09at all
12:11through the whole
12:11journey within the group.
12:12We've always maintained
12:14our focus on
12:15what we can do
12:16and our motto
12:17is pretty simple
12:18this tournament.
12:20The basic tagline
12:22is it's okay.
12:23When you win,
12:24it's okay.
12:24It's part of the job.
12:25When you lose,
12:26it's okay.
12:27On to the next one.
12:27So fingers crossed.
12:28The team's playing well.
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