Virat Kohli opens up on impostor syndrome, credits Rahul Dravid for mental support

Former India captain Virat Kohli has revealed that he still battles “impostor syndrome” despite nearly two decades.

At the top level, admitting that self-doubt continues to shadow even his practice sessions. Speaking at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit Powered by Leaders in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Kohli opened up about the emotional burden of captaincy and credited former India head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour for helping him recover mentally during one of the toughest phases of his career.

Kohli said the constant pressure of leadership across formats eventually left him emotionally exhausted, especially during his lean patch in Test cricket between 2020 and 2022, when he went nearly three years without a century in the format.

“As players, you’re always walking a very thin line between being cautious and being insecure. You constantly feel like you’re never good enough – that imposter syndrome is always there,” Kohli said.

He added that even now he worries about being judged during practice sessions.

“Even today, when I go into the nets, I still think: these youngsters are watching. If I have a bad session, they’ll probably wonder, ‘Is this the guy who’s been playing for 20 years?’” he said.

Kohli explained that Dravid understood those emotions because of his own experiences as an international cricketer, while Rathour also played a major role in supporting him mentally after the end of his captaincy stint.

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

The former India skipper stepped down as T20I captain in 2021 before leaving Test captaincy in early 2022 after also losing the ODI leadership role. Kohli admitted that leadership often forced him to ignore his own wellbeing while focusing entirely on the team.

“You don’t even think about whether someone is going to ask you, ‘Are you okay?’ That thought doesn’t even cross your mind,” he said.

Looking back, Kohli said he realised only towards the end of his captaincy tenure how emotionally draining the role had become.

“I did look back and realise that no one had really asked me that question for almost nine years – ‘How are you doing?’” he said.

Despite the mental toll, Kohli insisted he would not change the way he approached leadership.

“And honestly, I’d do it the same way all over again,” he added.

Kohli also spoke about workload management, saying young cricketers should first discover the limits of their endurance before trying to slow down.

“If you start managing too early, you may never reach your full potential,” he said.