Virat Kohli: Mental health equally important as physical workload management

Virat Kohli is the reigning skipper of Team India across formats, as he would be leading the side in the final of the ICC World Test Championship against New Zealand this month. Ahead of its England departure, Kohli has focused on the importance of mental health.

Team Newsable

Mumbai, First Published Jun 3, 2021, 11:45 AM IST

Team India skipper Virat Kohli is gearing up for a tough tour of England. He and his boys would take on New Zealand in the ICC World Test Championship final at Southampton this month, followed by a five-Test series against the host for the Pataudi Trophy in August.

Consequently, it would become nearly a three-month tour for the Indians that would involve them staying in the bubble. However, the entire bubble thing is rated as tiring of late, as many cricketers have deemed it unsafe for mental health.

Virat Kohli: Mental health equally important as physical workload management-ayh

As Team India departed for England on Wednesday, ahead of the pre-departure press conference, Kohli focused on the same issue. According to the skipper, mental health is of equal importance as physical health, while adequate management would become "a norm of the future".

"The kind of structure we're competing inside, for a long period of time it's difficult for players to stay motivated and find the right kind of mental space in one area and just do this stuff day in and day out, and dealing with high-pressure situations. So, this will definitely become a norm of the future, where apart from the workloads, the mental health side of things will also come into the picture big-time," he said, reports ESPNCricinfo.

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Virat Kohli: Mental health equally important as physical workload management-ayh

"You don't have an outlet at all in today's day and age. You're literally going to the ground and coming back to the room, and you don't have a space where you can just disconnect from the game and go out for a walk or a meal and a coffee and say, 'Let me refresh myself. Let me just get away from the game a little bit.' I think this is a huge factor, which should not be neglected. Because, as much hard work as we've done to create this team, you don't want players falling out because of mental pressures and not having the capacity or space to express themselves," he added.

Kohli referred the entire mental health issue to his struggles during the 2014 England tour, noting a "strong need" of some professional help for the Indian cricketers, as the same is yet to be worked upon by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Meanwhile, Kohli was supported by Indian head coach Ravi Shastri on the same.

Virat Kohli: Mental health equally important as physical workload management-ayh

"And, you'll see it during the Test series. I'm not talking of the WTC, but if you add that as well - when you have to play five Test matches in this environment in six weeks, it's no joke. Even the fittest will need a break. More than the physical part, it's the mental part. You can be destroyed mentally, being asked to do the same things day in, day out, and then go out and perform. And, it's not easy to recover, especially if you've had a bad day. So, it's important that you shuffle the guys around and keep them mentally fresh. It's not the physical part. You keep them mentally fresh - because of the circumstances," concluded Shastri.

Over the past year, numerous cricketers have taken a break from the regular cricketing activities owing to mental fatigue by staying in the bubble on a prolonged basis. While Australian all-rounder had taken an indefinite leave during the pre-pandemic era to focus on his mental health, Japan's Naomi Osaka withdrawing from the ongoing French Open does highlight the fact that it is indeed a serious issue.

NOTE: Asianet News humbly requests everyone to wear masks, sanitise, maintain social distancing and get vaccinated as soon as eligible. Together we can and will break the chain #ANCares #IndiaFightsCorona

Last Updated Jun 3, 2021, 11:47 AM IST

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Virat Kohli: Mental health equally important as physical workload management

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