Virat Kohli On Mental Health: Glenn Maxwell Set The Right Example For Cricketers All Over The World

Virat Kohli, Indian cricket team's captain across all formats, has praised Glenn Maxwell's decision to take a break from cricket owing to mental health issues. Glenn Maxwell had opted for a break from cricket on October 31 due to mental health difficulties. Speaking ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh in Indore, Virat Kohli said that he himself had battled similar situations in the past and had no idea how to talk about them. "You know when you get to the international stage, every player that's in the squad needs that communication - that ability to speak out. I think what Glenn has done is remarkable," Kohli said.

"He set the right example for cricketers all over the world. If you are not in best frame of mind, you try, try and try, but as human beings you reach a tipping point at some stage or the other and you need time," Kohli added.

The India captain had a lean patch in the 2014 England tour where Kohli scored 134 runs in 10 innings at an average of 13.40. Talking about his own struggle to deal with the slump in form, Kohli said during that tour of England, he did not know what to do and what to say.

"I have gone through a phase in my career where I had felt that it was the end of the world. I just didn't know what do and what to say to anyone, How to speak, how to communicate," Kohli added.

The 31-year-old further added that it is difficult to admit that one is facing mental problem because you don't know how that is taken.

"To be honest, I couldn't have said that I am not feeling great mentally and I need to get away from the game. Because you never know how that's taken," Kohli said.

The India skipper emphasised that fact that when an individual is not feeling like he can carry on anymore, it is important to take time off.

"Not to say that you give up but just to gain more clarity, you tend to take a bit more space which, in my opinion, is quite acceptable and quite a nice thing to do when you are not able to carry on anymore. I think these things should be respected and not taken in a negative way at all. It's just not having the capacity to deal with things which can happen to any person to any walk of life. I think it should be taken in a very positive way," Kohli concluded.

(PTI inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Bangladesh Cricket Team Glenn Maxwell Virat Kohli Cricket India vs Bangladesh