When Kohli hid mental stress due to social stigma

Australian Glenn Maxwell’s decision to take an indefinite break from cricket owing to mental health struggles once again brought to spotlight the internal trauma elite athletes undergo and Virat Kohli admitted he too experienced a similar phase in his life during the horror tour of England in 2014.

In that series, the worst in Kohli’s career, the 31-year-old managed to post just 39 runs in five Test matches as James Anderson and Co made life a living hell for him. Anderson made him his bunny, ruthlessly exposing his weakness with the moving ball around the off-stump.

Kohli, who had risen to become one of the premier young batsmen in the world then, was left with a battered mind and bruised ego at the end of the tour. Although he amassed 593 runs when he returned to England last year, Kohli said he didn’t have the courage then to talk about the depressing phase because of the fear of the social stigma that’s attached to it in this part of the world. “I have gone through a phase in my career where I had felt that it was the end of the world,” said a candid Kohli here on Wednesday.

“I just didn’t know what to do and what to say to anyone. How to speak, how to communicate. To be honest, I couldn’t have said that I am not feeling great mentally and I need to get away from the game. Because you never know how that’s taken,” added the Delhiite, emphasising how Indians dread talking about depression in the open.

Kohli hailed Maxwell’s decision to go public and opined Indian cricketers should feel comfortable about seeking help if they are distressed. He also felt strong outside support must be provided for anyone needing time out from the game to sort out mental issues.

“You know when you get to the international stage, every player that’s in the squad needs that communication, that ability to speak out. I think what Glenn has done is remarkable. He set the right examples for cricketers all over the world. If you are not in the best frame of mind, you try, try and try, but as human beings you reach a tipping point at some stage or the other and you need time. These things should be of great importance.

“If you think that a player is important, for the team and for the Indian cricket to move forward, then they should be looked after. Not to say that you give up but just to gain more clarity, you tend to take a bit more space which in my opinion is quite acceptable and quite a nice thing to do when you are not able to carry on anymore.

I think these things should be respected and not taken in a negative way at all. This is happening at a human level and not to do with what’s happening on the field or not. It’s just not having the capacity to deal with things which can happen to any person in any walk of life. I think it should be taken in a very positive way.”