Virat Kohli is going through a lean patch and it has become even more evident with his performance in IPL 2022. Before Royal Challengers Bangalore's must-win match against Gujarat Titans, the former Indian cricket team captain's average stood at 19.67. This is his second lowest average ever in one edition of the IPL. He has scored only one half-century so far. In the international arena too, Kohli has not scored a ton since November, 2019. Seeing his recent form, former India coach Ravi Shastri had suggested Kohli to take a break.
Now, Kohli has responded to that suggestion. "It's not that a lot of people have mentioned it (taking break). There is one person precisely who mentioned it, which is Ravi bhai. That's because he has seen from close quarters over the last six-seven years the reality of the situation that I have been in, the amount of cricket that I have played. The ups and down and the toll that it takes on you to play three formats of the game plus the IPL for 10-11 years non-stop with seven years of captaincy in between," Kohli said on Star Sports in a video telecast on Thursday.
"It's definitely a thing that one needs to consider because you don't want to do something which you are not part of 100 per cent. And I have always believed in that in my life. So, to take a break and when to take a break is obviously something that I need to take a call on. It is only a healthy decision for anyone to take some time off and you know just rejuvenate yourself mentally and physically. Not so much physically because physical fitness you keep up with. But it's the mental kind of reset that you need and you want to be excited for what you are doing.
"I don't think there is anything wrong with that. It's a healthy thing with the amount of cricket we play. It's about finding balance and that balance which is right for you as an individual. I will definitely discuss this with all the people involved - Rahul Bhai, the Indian team management, everyone to chart out whatever is best for myself and the team."
"There is nothing that you can point out that 'yaha pe problem ho rahi hai.' That for me is easier thing to process because I know that I am batting well and at times, when I start feeling that rhythm back, then I know that I am batting well. Which wasn't the case in England (2014)," he said.
"(Then) I didn't feel like I was batting well at all. I had to work hard on one thing that could be exposed again and again, which I overcame. Right now, that's not the case. I know where my game stands and you cannot come this far in your international career without having the ability to counter situations and conditions and counter different type of bowling. So, this phase for me is an easier phase to process. I don't want to put this phase behind me. When I come out of this phase, I know how consistent I can be," Kohli added.
Kohli, who made a name for himself due to his exceptional conversion rate in Tests and ODIs, has failed to hit an international century since November 2019.