Virat Kohli reveals impostor syndrome, says Rahul Dravid took care of him mentally

Former India captain Virat Kohli has revealed that he continued to struggle with “impostor syndrome” even at the peak of his career, crediting former India head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour for helping him recover mentally after the emotional loss of the captaincy left him drained.

Speaking at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit Powered by Leaders in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Kohli said Dravid and Rathour “really looked after him” during the difficult phase after being appointed captain, allowing him to rediscover the joy of playing cricket after years of carrying the pressure of leadership across formats.

Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which individuals continue to doubt their abilities and fear being exposed as not good enough despite their success and accomplishments. Kohli admitted that even after almost two decades at the highest level, these uncertainties still exist.

“As players, you always walk a very fine line between caution and uncertainty. You constantly feel like you’re never good enough – that impostor syndrome is always there,” Kohli said.

“Even today, when I go to the net, I still think: these youngsters are watching. If I have a bad session, they’re probably going to wonder, ‘Is that the guy who’s been playing for 20 years?’ That thought is always there.”

HOW DRAVID HAS HELPED VIRAT?

Kohli said Dravid’s own experience as an international cricketer helped him understand these emotions better than others. According to Kohli, both Dravid and Rathour supported him mentally during one of the toughest phases of his career.

“Rahul bhai understood because he himself had experienced it at the highest level. Vikram was also there for years. They understood what I was feeling and honestly took care of me mentally. That put me in a space where I could enjoy my cricket again,” Kohli said.

The former Indian captain suffered a rare slump in Test cricket between 2020 and 2022, three calendar years without reaching a century in the format. The cull phase coincided with the end of his captaincy, with Kohli stepping down as T20I captain before stepping down as Test captain in early 2022 after also losing the ODI leadership role.

Kohli said the environment created by Dravid and Rathour motivated him to rediscover his hunger for hard work and performance.

“I have said this many times about Rahul bhai and Vikram Rathore. I had a great phase in Test cricket and whenever I meet them I thank them from the bottom of my heart because they looked after me in a way that made me feel like I wanted to play for them,” he said.

“I wanted to perform and grind it out and do the hard work because they were so caring and nurturing. They reminded me of everything I’ve done so far – something you never sit down and think about as a player.”

Kohli also spoke candidly about the emotional demands of management, saying that captaincy often forced him to ignore his own mental well-being and focus solely on the team.

“The reason you’re given a leadership role is because people believe you can take on more and still get it done. In many ways, leadership is more about management than coaching. It’s about understanding the people who play with you and for you and figuring out how to get the best out of them,” he said.

“To do that, you have to constantly be in a space where you’re not focused on yourself. You’re not even thinking about if someone’s going to ask you, ‘Are you okay?’ You don’t even think about it.”

Kohli admitted that it was only towards the end of his leadership tenure that he realized how emotionally draining the role had become.

“I looked back and realized that in almost nine years no one had asked me that question – ‘How are you?’

Despite the pressure, Kohli said that if given a chance, he would approach leadership in the same way again.

“When I was in everything, I never felt like I needed to be asked how I was doing. I handled everything fine. And honestly, I would do it all over again,” he said.

Kohli also shared his views on workload management and said that young players should first discover the limits of their endurance before trying to slow down.

“I really don’t believe in managing your workload when you’re still at the top of your journey and trying to grow. You have to understand your maximum limit first. Only then will you understand the balance – how much you can really take before you start reducing it. But if you start managing too soon, you may never reach your full potential.”

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

May 19, 2026 6:57 PM IST