Virat Kohli opens up on feeling 'mentally down'

In an interview with broadcaster Star Sports, Kohli opened up on why he was required to have a break from cricket and said he did not touch his cricket bat for a month.

"For the first time in 10 years, I didn't touch my bat for a month. I came to the realisation that I was trying to fake my intensity a bit recently. I was convincing myself that no, you had the intensity. But your body was telling you to stop. The mind was telling me to take a break and step back," Kohli said.

"I'm looked at as a guy who is mentally very strong and I am. But everyone has a limit and you need to recognize that limit, otherwise, things can get unhealthy for you. This period taught me a lot of things that I wasn't allowed to come to the surface. When they eventually came up, I embraced them," he added.

When India will take to the field to play against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday to start their Asia Cup 2022 campaign, star batter Virat Kohli will represent the nation in his 100th T20I match and will also become the first player in history to play a hundred matches for India in all formats of the game.

"I'm not shy to admit that I was feeling mentally down. This is a very normal thing to feel, but we don't speak because we are hesitant. We don't want to be looked at as mentally weak. Trust me, faking to be strong is far worse than admitting to being weak," he said.

In another interview with BCCI, Kohli said he wants to win a match for the team at any cost.

On Sunday, all eyes will be glued to the TVs, with the fans hoping that India not only avenges their previous loss to Pakistan, but Virat also scores big.

"I want to make my team win at any cost and if that means that I am gasping for breath and I walk off the field, so be it. I mean that's the kind of preparation I go through to be able to play like that. Wo naturally nahi ho raha tha aur mujhe push karna pad raha tha (I was not able to get that high intensity naturally, I was pushing myself to do it). But I just didn't know it," said Kohli.

Asia Cup is being held in T20I format from August 27 to September 11.