Virat Kohli expressed deep disappointment following his recent tour in Australia, akin to feelings he experienced during a poor 2014 England tour. Despite starting strong with a century in Perth, he struggled to score, finishing with only 190 runs in nine innings. Kohli emphasized the need to acknowledge and process such disappointments without rushing to conclusions about his future. He finds joy in the game itself, striving for clarity in his career path, notably after discussions with former coach Rahul Dravid. Kohli remains committed to playing as long as his passion for cricket endures, not letting external pressures dictate his decisions.
“If you were to ask me how deeply disappointed I’ve been, the latest tour of Australia is the one that feels the freshest and, thus, the most intense,” Kohli shared at an event moderated by Isa Guha during the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit in Bengaluru.
“For a long time, the 2014 England tour was what haunted me the most. But I can’t dwell on it that way. I might not play in another Australia tour for four years; it’s uncertain. You have to come to terms with whatever happens in your life. In 2014, I still had the opportunity to return in 2018 and perform well. It could have gone another way, but it didn’t, and I’m grateful for that.”
“Life offers no guarantees. When you’re around for a long time and consistently performing, people get accustomed to your success, often feeling more for you than you do. That mentality needs to change.”
Kohli admitted that during his time in Australia, the absence of runs made him overly eager to rectify his form with each passing innings. However, he recognized the significance of embracing his disappointment before rushing into decisions.
“When you absorb the disappointment and the energy from the crowd, it adds unnecessary pressure,” Kohli explained. “Then you start thinking, ‘With just two or three days left in this tour, I need to make a mark.’ That can lead to a desperate mindset, which I certainly experienced in Australia.”
“Since I had a strong performance in the first Test, I thought, ‘Let’s build on this.’ But things didn’t unfold as I hoped. It’s about accepting, ‘Alright, this is what happened. I need to be honest with myself. What are my energy levels? Where do I want to head from here?’
“I’m not rushing into decisions within 48 to 72 hours. Instead, I take time to be with family, find some calm, and see how I feel in a few days. Within five to six days, I was eager to hit the gym again, feeling reassured and not needing to share anything impulsively.”
“It ultimately comes down to the pure joy, enjoyment, and love for the game. As long as that love remains, I will keep playing.”
Virat Kohli
“My involvement in the game is not driven by a chase for achievement,” he noted. “At its core, it’s all about the joy, enjoyment, and love I have for cricket. As long as that passion exists, I will carry on. I have to maintain honesty with myself because a competitive nature can cloud that awareness.”
“I recently had a thought-provoking conversation with Rahul Dravid when he was our coach. He emphasized the importance of staying in touch with your own feelings and evaluating your position in life. The clarity may not come easy; during a rough patch, you might feel like it’s over, but that’s not necessarily the case.
“Dravid also said that my competitive streak would often prevent me from accepting my situation — whether that meant one more opportunity, six more months, or whatever timeline that may be. It requires a careful balance, and I hope for clarity when it arrives. At this moment in my life, I feel quite happy. I still love playing. And just to reassure, I’m not here to make any announcements; everything is just fine at the moment.”
Shashank Kishore is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo