After former India captain Virat Kohli opened up about his struggles with mental health in recent times, current skipper Rohit Sharma said a lot of players have gone through hard times mentally since COVID-19 struck due to the requirement to stay in bubbles and inside hotel premises for a long period of time. In an interview with broadcaster Star Sports, Kohli opened up on why he was required to have a break from cricket.


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He said he did not touch his bat for a month for the first time in a decade post the England tour. “We do talk about mental health. It has been difficult for a lot of players not just Virat, but for a lot of players who have gone through hard times mentally since COVID struck. Staying in bubbles, not being able to go outside, some of the guys find it difficult. And there is nothing wrong with it because of how you led your life until you were stuck with Covid,” Rohit said at a press conference ahead of the vital opening match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28).




“Suddenly you had to stay inside hotels for two-two months when we did long tours. The quarantines and all that, it was not easy. Every player has his own way to respond to that and there is nothing wrong if a player has his view on,” he added.


That is also the reason why having gaps between the matches and looking at workload has become so important, the skipper stressed. “There is constant talk around how the players are mentally and what they think of the game. And how we can keep them fresh. That freshness is very, very important when you are playing high-pressure games. Mental health is very important,” Rohit said.


India will start their Asia Cup 2022 title defence against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday in Dubai.