Only Dhoni messaged me after leaving Test captaincy, Virat Kohli says
Star Indian batter talks about his special connection with his mentor
Dubai: Former Indian skippers Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni enjoy a great relationship and camaraderie, and the star player reiterated the fact on the close relationship, saying only MSD messaged him after leaving his Test captaincy and says his connect with his mentor is special.
Responding to a question on the criticism in the last six months, including the greats, Kohli responded saying: “I would only say one thing, when I left Test captaincy I got message only from MS Dhoni and nobody else,” the star Indian batter said at a post-match press conference after the loss against Pakistan.
After a long lean patch, Kohli has found his touch, scoring back to back half-centuries, which was a common phenomenon in the past. But suddenly the runs dried up and the leading batter’s position also was questioned in the team.
Genuine connections
“Lot of people have my number and say things on TV but no one sent me a message. The respect and connection that you have with someone, that shows in this way. There are some connections, which are genuine and it has some security. Neither he wants something from me, nor I. Neither I was insecure about him, nor he was of me. If you want to give me suggestions give me one-on-one, otherwise it has no meaning to me. I live my life with honesty. I won’t say things don’t affect me, but I see the reality,” he said.
Kohli, who recently spoke about how he battled depression, says that it was surprising that he didn’t touch the bat for a month, when he took a break after the three match One Day International series against England and spent time with the family.
Addressing negative feelings
“I had never though that I will not touch a bat for a month. Situation arose that taking a break became necessary for me, more mentally than physically. And then you realise, when you start batting again after a month, that why you started playing the game. That thing gets lost somewhere in you, identity or how people look at you,” he added.
Kohli also said that anyone can have negative feelings and wants them to recognise and address those feelings.
“I know, what I can do for the team when I am happy in my space. To be in a bad space is neither good for me, nor for the team. So people should not run away from the fact that you are feeling negative. It’s not bad to take a break and I hope this gives people strength and are able to address their feelings. Anybody can have such feelings, but it’s important to recognise and take care of it. You will get more frustrated if you ignore it. So I have realised this. I am happy, I am excited and enjoying my cricket again, which was the most important thing for me,” he concluded.