'Definitely a thing to consider, will take call after discussing with Rahul Dravid and team management' - Virat Kohli on taking a break

After many veteran players suggested Virat Kohli take a break from cricket, the batter has finally opened up about his views on the suggestions and said that he would consider taking a break after having a conversation with Rahul Dravid and the team management. He also said that Ravi Shastri, who suggested Kohli should take a break as he is ‘overcooked’, has watched his game closely over the years and thus he would give a thought to his suggestions.

Kohli’s form in the IPL 2022 saw a downward trend as the stylish batter was unable to put up a big knock. After some bizarre dismissals, veterans like Michael Vaughan, Kevin Pietersen, and Mohammad Azharuddin among others had shared their views and suggested the batter take a brief break to get back into form.

“It’s not a lot of people who mentioned it (taking a break). There is one person precisely who has mentioned it which is Ravi Bhai and that’s because he has seen from close quarters over the last six-seven years the reality of the situation that I have been in. The amount of cricket that I have played and the ups and downs and the toll that it takes on you to play three formats of the game plus the IPL for 10-11 years non-stop with the seven years of captaincy in between…” Kohli told the official broadcasters Star Sports.

“It is definitely a thing that one needs to consider because you don’t want to do something which you are not a part of 100 percent and I have always believed in that in my life. So to take a break and when to take a break is obviously something that I need to take a call on, but it is only a healthy decision for anyone to take some time off and just rejuvenate yourself mentally and physically,” he continued.

I’ll definitely discuss this with Rahul Bhai to see what works in the best interest of the team: Virat Kohli

Kohli also emphasized the importance of mental health and mental fitness for a sportsperson. He said that a cricketer would cope with the physical fitness during the training period, but mental fitness is something that has to be taken care of so that a player doesn’t pressurize himself into the game.

“Not so much physically because physical fitness you keep up with through the course of playing cricket all the time, but it is a mental kind of reset that you need, and you want to be excited for what you are doing. You don’t want to feel like you have been forcing yourself into any situation,” he added.

Kohli said that there is nothing wrong in taking a break, and some time off actually helps a player rejuvenate. He further clarified that he would take a final call after consulting head coach Rahul Dravid and the team management.

“It’s only a thing of creating a balance and finding that balance which is right for you as an individual moving forward and I’ll definitely discuss this with all the people involved – Rahul bhai, the Indian team management, everyone to chart out whatever is best for myself and for the team definitely,” he concluded.