"Was Trying To Fake My Intensity": Virat Kohli Opens Up On Recent Struggles

India batter Virat Kohli has opened up on why he needed to have a break and how he was feeling mentally down, and was trying to "fake" his intensity.

Star India batter Virat Kohli has not scored an international ton for more than 1,000 days and the talk surrounding his form is continuing to rise by the minute. The batter was not able to even register a fifty on the tour of England and he was then rested for the limited-overs series against West Indies and Zimbabwe. And now in an interview with broadcaster Star Sports, Kohli opened up on why he needed to have a break and how he was trying to fake his intensity. It's @imVkohli like you've never seen him before as he opens up to his fans in a special episode of Virat: Heart To Heart.Catch it today at 5 PM on Star Sports & Disney+Hotstar.#KingKohli #TeamIndia | #AsiaCup2022 | #AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/3GaIJ24SKe Up close and personal with @imVkohli!Coming back from a break, Virat Kohli speaks about the introspection, the realisation and his way forward!Full interview coming up on https://t.co/Z3MPyeKtDzWatch this space for more #TeamIndia | #AsiaCup2022 | #AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/fzZS2XH1r1

"For the first time in 10 years, I did not touch the bat for one month. I came to the realisation that I was kind of trying to fake my intensity a bit recently, you know you can do that, you are competitive and you are saying I have the intensity but your body is telling you to stop and it is telling you to take a break and step back. I am looked at as a guy who is very mentally strong and I am. Everyone has a limit and you need to recognise that limit otherwise things can get unhealthy for you," Kohli said.

"This period taught me a lot, you know many things I was not allowing to come to the surface. When it surfaced, I embraced it. I am not shy to accept that I was feeling mentally down, it is a normal thing to feel but we don't speak because we are hesitant, we don't want to be looked at as mentally weak or weak people. Trust me, faking to be strong is far worse than admitting to be weak," he added.

Further talking about his intensity, Kohli said: "I am a person who wakes up and feels like let's see what the day has for me and be part of everything that I am doing through the day with absolute presence, involvement and happiness. That is who I have always been, people ask me a lot how do you deal with this on the field and how do you carry on with the same intensity. I just tell them I love playing the game and I love the fact that I have so much to contribute and I would give my every inch on the field."