How Virat Kohli helped PV Sindhu regain her form

PV Sindhu has revealed how a conversation with Virat Kohli helped her navigate one of the toughest periods of her career after a serious injury in 2025, eventually inspiring a remarkable comeback that culminated in a historic Japan Open triumph.

The two-time Olympic medallist suffered a torn toe ligament during a training session in September 2025, forcing her to bring her season to an early end and focus on rehabilitation. Under the care of renowned sports orthopaedist Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, Sindhu underwent three months of complete rest before beginning an intensive rehabilitation programme.

During the difficult phase, Sindhu, accompanied by her husband Venkata Datta Sai, reached out to Kohli for guidance. The former India captain responded within minutes, and the trio met the following day.

Reflecting on the emotional encounter, Sindhu took to X to repost her husband’s interview with The Indian Express, describing the meeting as a turning point in her recovery.

“One thing I’ll always be grateful for, though, is Virat bhai. I reached out to him at one of the lowest points of my career. Injuries were piling up, the results weren’t coming, and I just needed someone who understood. He replied within minutes, and we met the very next day. What we spoke about will always stay between us. But I’ll always be grateful that when I needed someone, he was there. He didn’t say much, but every word stayed with Datta and me. Some conversations change the way you see things. That was one of them,” Sindhu wrote on X.

Venkata Datta Sai explained how Kohli’s words continued to motivate the couple throughout Sindhu’s rehabilitation.

“We had to rebuild her joy, and Virat’s words kept ringing in my head. At Atlanta’s Exos Sports Performance facility, she trained with three excellent trainers, Wayne, Tim and Rayan,” Datta told the Indian Express.

Sindhu’s comeback reached its defining moment on July 19, when she created history by winning the Japan Open women’s singles title. The victory made her the first Indian shuttler, across any discipline, to win the prestigious title in the tournament’s 43-year history.

Ranked World No. 12 going into the tournament, the 31-year-old delivered a clinical performance in the final at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, defeating home favourite and World No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 in straight games.