I was faking intensity, says "mentally down" Kohli having not touched bat for month
Dubai (PTI): The prolonged lean patch did take a toll on Virat Kohli's "mental health" as the former India captain admitted to not having touched the bat during the month-long break prior to Asia Cup.
Kohli has been out without an international hundred for nearly three years but his poor run of form did affect him as he revealed that at times he was "faking intensity" in trying to show that he is an epitome of mental strength.
"I am not shy to admit that I was feeling mentally down," the former India skipper told "Star Sports" in an episode of "Virat: Heart to Heart".
Following the tour, Kohli took a break, skipping two white-ball series in the West Indies and Zimbabwe.
"For the first time in 10 years, I didn't touch my bat for a month. I came to realisation that I was trying to fake my intensity a bit recently," Kohli said.
"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."
Mental health issues are a reality and just like Ben Stokes said in his docu-series, Kohli also spoke about need to not keep the feelings bottled up.
"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 be weak."
Kohli's last international century came during the pink ball Test against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in 2019. His highest score in his last five matches, including two ODIs, two T20Is and a Test, has been 20 in India's loss to England in the rescheduled fifth Test.
Kohli, who has relinquished his captaincy at Royal Challengers Bangalore, also had a quiet IPL-15, scoring 341 runs from 16 matches at an average of 22.73.
"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," he said.
"This period taught me a lot of things that I wasn't allowing to come to surface. When they eventually came up, I embraced it."
Kohli will now return to action in India's Asia Cup opener against Pakistan on August 28.
"I want to make my team win at any cost and if that means I am gasping for breath when I walk off the field then so be it," he said.
"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.
On his high-intensity approach on the field, Kohli said: "People ask me a lot, how do you do this on the field and how do you carry on with so much intensity.
"I just tell them I love playing the game and I love the fact that I have so much to contribute to every ball, and I will give every inch of my energy on the field."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka govt to establish Gig Workers’ Welfare Board
Bengaluru, Apr 3 (PTI): The Karnataka government decided to establish a Gig Workers’ Welfare Board, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office said on Thursday.
The decision was made following a discussion between Siddaramaiah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Rahul Gandhi inquired about the timeline for formulating the Gig Workers' Welfare Act, which he had promised during his Bharat Jodo Yatra and the elections.
"The Karnataka government has decided to establish a Gig Workers' Welfare Board to ensure the well-being of workers employed by companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Ola, Uber, and others," the statement said.
It further stated that a five per cent cess would be collected from the concerned companies, while the state government would provide the remaining funds required to support welfare schemes for gig workers.
"A comprehensive bill covering all aspects of gig workers' welfare will be prepared and presented before the state cabinet for approval," the statement added.
Three gig worker representatives—Rakshitha Dev, Sheikh Salahuddin, and Nikhil Dev—were also invited to the meeting.
They appreciated the government's initiative and expressed hope for improved working conditions.
State ministers Santosh Lad, Priyank Kharge, and M B Patil were present at the meeting.
Santosh Lad was quoted as saying that Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier advocated for gig workers' rights during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, welcomed the eight-point proposal prepared by the Labour department.
Rahul Gandhi also emphasised the need for swift implementation to safeguard gig workers' interests.
"The Karnataka Labour Department has already introduced three key bills—covering workers' gratuity, cinema workers' rights, and now, gig workers' welfare. The unorganised workers' sector has lauded the government's efforts and extended full support for this progressive move," the statement quoted Lad as saying.
