‘Was willing to let go of everything’ – Virat Kohli reveals his mindset during lean patch

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) flamboyant batter Virat Kohli made quite a few intriguing statements on the challenges he dealt with during his lean patch. Kohli is currently relishing a decent start to the season with three-half centuries in four games thus far in the ongoing IPL 2023.

For the unversed, Kohli endured a lean patch prior to the Asia Cup in 2022 for roughly two years, wherein he registered a string of low scores. However, the batter decided to take a short sabbatical from the sport upon which he announced his return to cricket with a thunderous century against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup. In a conversation with Robin Uthappa on JioCinema, the 34-year-old expressed that he was willing to ‘accept’ his fate soon after the sabbatical. 

“The most important factor in that whole transnational period before the Asia Cup last year was the fact that I was willing to let go of everything. I was willing to accept that when I go back and play, it might be the last month of me playing competitive cricket and I am absolutely okay with it,” Kohli said in the interview.

I would have become an egoistic maniac: Kohli

Virat Kohli further revealed how Anushka Sharma (his wife/ Hindi film actor), helped him deal with mental health issues during the long dry spell.  

“She (Anushka Sharma) has been there for so many years. She still understands that what it takes to handle the pressure of a public figure. How she spoke to me during that whole phase is something that kept me in check. Had I been left to myself to figure out, I would have become an egoistic maniac. I would have been even more snappier and cranky. But she made me more humble as we grew together,” he added.

Kohli has got to his vintage best and has taken the ongoing IPL season by storm. He has returned with scores of 82*, 21, 61, and 50 runs, respectively, in the four outings thus far and will look to maintain his purple patch in the league ahead.