Bengaluru: Virat Kohli has opened up about a trying stretch in Test cricket that stretched across 23 matches and 41 innings between November 2019 and March 2023, during which he endured a prolonged run without a century in the five-day format. It was also the period when he stepped away from India’s Test captaincy, as one of the toughest phases of his career unfolded.
Speaking at the RCB Innovation Lab’s Indian Sports Summit at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Monday, Kohli said two key figures helped him pull through—India head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour. He described their support as both practical and mental, explaining how it allowed him to regain his rhythm and his enjoyment of batting.
“Whenever I see or meet them, I always thank them from the bottom of my heart because they really took care of me in a way that made me feel like I want to play for them. I want to perform, grind it out and do the hard work for them. They made me realise what I have done so far,” Kohli said.
He further reflected on the emotional pressure that often accompanies lean periods, stressing how easily a player can slip from caution into insecurity. Kohli said this is where “imposter syndrome” can take hold, leaving a batter feeling he is never good enough unless he keeps measuring himself against his own standards.
“It’s a very thin line between being cautious and being insecure. You always feel like you’re never good enough. And that’s the imposter syndrome. You have to keep up with your own standards. They understood that. Rahul Bhai, of course, has done that way better than a lot of people in Test cricket at the highest level. Vikram Rathour too had been around for so many years. So they understood what I was feeling. And they could relate to it. And they really took care of me mentally. They put me in a space where I could enjoy my cricket again,” Kohli elaborated.
Workload management, motivation and longevity
Kohli also touched on leadership and offered his view on workload management—an idea frequently discussed for players active across multiple formats. He said he does not believe in planning workload reductions while a player is still in the middle of his prime development and career momentum.
“I don’t believe in managing workload while you’re in the thick of things and your careers are growing. You have to understand your maximum limit first. And then from there, you understand the balance on how much you can do or when you need to start tapering it down. But you can’t start managing early in your career; you’ll never reach your full potential otherwise. That’s the way I operate,” Kohli explained. He also noted that he currently represents India in ODIs.
Turning to what drives him in the modern game, Kohli made an observation about how T20 cricket can influence motivation. He said many people associate ambition with money, especially when the shorter format offers quick fame and substantial rewards.
When asked what still keeps him going, he responded: “It’s the drive. A lot of people relate drive to money nowadays. Yes, it’s a big factor because when a format that gives you the hype and the recognition, the fame by scoring 40-50 off 20 balls and the kind of money that people can make in the IPL today, it can put you in a very comfortable space and say, you know what? This is brilliant. I don’t need to handle pressure for too long. I can just go out there and smash the ball.”
For longevity, Kohli’s focus is not just on extending a career but on building a long-term identity in cricket. He said his approach is rooted in committing to the grind for many years while chasing recognition and respect from the game’s wider community.
“Or you can say, I want to play for 15-20 years. I want to get recognition and respect of the cricketing world, of my own heroes and I want to fulfil this opportunity. That’s a very different zone. You have to be very driven to be able to say, I’m going to commit to this for the next 10-15 years and it’s going to be very, very hard but I’m up for it,” he said.
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