He opened up about the exhausting double burden he carried for nearly a decade, not only serving as the main man of India’s batting lineup but also the team’s fierce leader. Due to his obsession to keep Indian cricket at the pinnacle of the sport, Kohli admitted that he completely ignored his own well-being.
By the time he stepped down from the captaincy, the relentless grind had left him entirely drained, physically and emotionally.
“I ended up being in a place where I became the focal point of our batting unit and the focal point of leadership. I didn’t realise how much load both those things will present in my daily life, to be honest. But because I was so driven to just make sure that Indian cricket stays on top, I didn’t really pay attention to it.” – Virat Kohli said in the RCB Innovation Lab meet in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
And that’s precisely why by the time I left captaincy, I was completely spent. There was nothing left in the tank. I was completely consumed by it. It was gruesome.” – Kohli added.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking part was his admission that throughout those nine grueling years, no one ever asked him about his own well being. This revelation offered a glimpse into the silent toll of stardom.
