‘Imposter syndrome is always there’ – Virat Kohli credits Rahul Dravid & Vikram Rathour for helping him recover mentally

Former India captain Virat Kohli has revealed that he continued to struggle with impostor syndrome even at the peak of his career. He also credited former India head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour for helping him recover mentally after the emotional burden of captaincy had left him exhausted.

Kohli said Dravid and Rathour genuinely cared for him during a challenging phase following his resignation as captain, helping him rediscover the joy of playing cricket after years of handling the immense pressure of leadership across formats. The batting star also admitted that despite spending nearly two decades at the highest level of the game, those insecurities and self-doubts still continue to exist.

“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. 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?’ That thought is always there,” said Kohli at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit Powered by Leaders as quoted by India Today.

Kohli said Dravid’s own experiences as an international cricketer helped him understand those emotions better than most people. According to Kohli, both Dravid and Rathour provided strong mental support during one of the toughest phases of his career.

“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.

Kohli said the environment created by Dravid and Rathour reignited his hunger to work hard and perform again. The former India captain endured a rare slump in Test cricket between 2020 and 2022, going three calendar years without scoring a century in the format.

“I’ve 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 took care of me in a way that made me feel like I wanted to play for them,” said Kohli.

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