Watch | Virat Kohli Opens Up On Captaincy Pressure, Mental Struggles and Self-Doubt

Former India captain Virat Kohli has opened up on the mental toll of leadership, revealing how former India head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour helped him regain his love for the game during a difficult phase in his career.

Speaking on the RCB Podcast, Kohli reflected on nearly a decade of carrying the pressures of captaincy across formats and said leadership in cricket is more about managing people than tactics.

"In the cricket world, it's very difficult for people to understand. The reason why you're given a leadership role is because people believe that you can take a lot more and you manage," Kohli said.

Ace Indian batter explained that while captaining India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), he rarely thought about his own emotional well-being because his focus remained on the team.

"You don't even think about whether someone's going to ask you, 'Are you okay?' That thought doesn't even cross your mind," he said.

How did Virat Kohli open up about his struggles after stepping down from captaincy?

Kohli said it was only after stepping down from captaincy that he began opening up more about his struggles.

He singled out Dravid and Rathour for playing a key role in helping him mentally during a phase where he was trying to rediscover himself as a cricketer.

"Whenever I see them, whenever I meet them, I always thank them from the bottom of my heart because they really took care of me in a way that made me feel like I want to play for them," Kohli said.

"They were so caring and nurturing. They made me realise what I have done so far. They understood what I was feeling, and they could relate to it. They really took care of me mentally, so that really put me in a space where I could enjoy my cricket again,” Virat said.

Kohli also spoke candidly about the insecurities elite athletes face despite years of success, admitting that even now he feels pressure to maintain his standards.

Why does Virat Kohli believe athletes feel ‘never good enough’ despite success?

"You always feel like you're never good enough," he said, describing the constant self-doubt athletes battle with despite their achievements.

The former India skipper also revisited the toughest phase of his career -- the disastrous 2014 Test tour of England, where he managed just 134 runs in 10 innings at an average of 13.40 against James Anderson and the swinging Dukes ball.

Calling it the "toughest cricketing phase" he had encountered, Kohli revealed he would wake up during the series convinced he was going to fail.

"I was trying to be confident every day, but I could not even stop myself from playing. I knew I was going to play and I knew I was going to fail."

(With inputs from ANI)