Asia Cup 2022: “Felt like I was trying to fake my intensity” – Virat Kohli on his form before the break

Team India’s star batter Virat Kohli has opened up on how he was trying a bit too hard just before the break, instead of accepting that his body badly needed rest.

The 33-year-old has been one of India’s biggest match-winners across formats for more than a decade. No matter how physically fit one is, it takes a mental toll on the player.

In an interview uploaded by the BCCI on Saturday, Virat Kohli underlined the need to rejuvenate oneself to avoid complete burnout:

“I realized that I haven’t touched the bat for a whole month for the first time in my life. I felt like I was trying to fake my intensity, telling myself that I can do it, but my body was telling me to stop. I understand that I have played 40-50 per cent more games than anyone else. So I am energetic but there is a limit to everything or else it can get unhealthy.”

Kohli also admitted that it took him a bit of time to get serious about his game after making his international debut. However, he claimed that he has always been true to himself:

“There is much more to life than just your profession. So when people start looking at you only through your profession, you start to lose a bit of perspective. I have always been true to myself. Even when I was young, brash, and wasn’t mature enough, I never tried to be someone that I never was.”

“Our endeavor in T20s has always been to play an aggressive brand of cricket” – Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli claimed that the Men in Blue always had the intention to play an attacking brand of cricket when it comes to the shortest format. However, the 33-year-old also stressed the importance of controlled aggression and molding oneself according to the situation.

On this, he stated:

“Our endeavor in T20s has always been to play an aggressive brand of cricket. We have posted and chased many big scores and won series in many countries so that cannot happen without having any intent. I think in big tournaments you need to have particular ‘cricket smarts’ rather than wanting to play a specific brand of cricket because it can implode on a particular day as well.”

Will Virat Kohli return to his vintage best against Pakistan on Sunday? Let us know in the comments.