After giving up for over four years Indiatest captain, Virat Kohli he finally detailed the emotional and mental toll that drove him to walk away from the role. The former Indian captain admitted that the constant responsibility of leading the team and carrying the batting department at the same time “completely consumed” him.
Kohli, who retired from Test cricket last year after India’s series defeat in South Africa, remains the country’s most successful Test captain. During his remarkable seven-year tenure, India recorded 40 victories in 68 Tests and became one of the most dominant red-ball sides in world cricket.
Virat Kohli thinks he has quit India’s Test captaincy
Speaking during the RCB Innovation Lab on Tuesday, Kohli reflected on how the pressure of being both India’s first batsman and leader is becoming increasingly heavy.
“Then I was in a position where I was the focal point of our batting unit and the focal point of leadership. I didn’t realize how much of a burden both of those things were in my day-to-day life.” Kohli said.
The batting icon admitted that his relentless drive to keep Indian cricket at the top has prevented him from focusing on his own well-being. According to Kohli, the burnout started to show only after he finally stepped away from the captaincy duties.
“When I left the captaincy, I was completely drained. There was nothing left in the tank. I was completely drained. It was terrible.” he added.
Kohli’s comments gave fans a rare glimpse into his personal struggles during one of the most successful periods of leadership in Indian cricket history. Even as India enjoyed consistent overseas success and dominated the ICC Test rankings, pressure continued to mount behind the scenes.
The decision to step down as Test captain came in the wake of India’s 1-2 series defeat in South Africa, which denied the team a maiden Test series victory in the country. Around the same period, Kohli had already stepped down as India’s T20I captain and was later replaced as the ODI captain as well.
Rise of the fearless Test captain
Kohli’s journey as India’s Test captain began in dramatic fashion during the 2014 Adelaide Test against Australia. MS DhoniKohli, who missed the match due to injury, declared himself with centuries in both the innings and almost led India to an unforgettable chase.
A year later, aged just 26, he led India to a historic Test series victory in Sri Lanka – the team’s first series win there since 1993. This win marked the beginning of a golden era under the partnership of Kohli and Ravi Shastri.
Under their leadership, India won the ICC Test bat for five consecutive seasons and achieved one of the country’s greatest overseas achievements by defeating Australia in the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Kohli’s aggressive approach, unmatched fitness standards and emphasis on fast bowling made India a formidable Test side under the conditions.
Leadership came at a personal cost
Despite the success, Kohli admitted that leadership requires total dedication, leaving almost no room to focus on his own mental or emotional state.
“The reason you’re given a leadership role is because people believe you can take on more and still manage it” Kohli explained.
He further added that leadership is about understanding your teammates and helping them perform at their best rather than thinking about yourself.
“For that, you have to be in a place where you’re not focused on yourself all the time. You don’t think someone’s going to ask you, ‘Are you okay?'” Kohli said.
His candid remarks once again highlighted the enormous pressure modern captains face when balancing expectations, performance and personal well-being.
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