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As Virat Kohli witnesses a significant dip in his batting, which also include an over two-year century drought, Chennai Super Kings batter Robin Uthappa empathised with the former India captain.
Uthappa took up the issue of mental health among athletes who have to perform day in and day out under pressure.
The CSK batter hopes Kohli has a support system, who can help the latter during these tough times.
'Especially with athletes, there is power in vulnerability. You deal with it by expressing it. You find that one person who you feel comfortable with, who you completely trust, and where you know there's not going to be any judgement,' Uthappa said in a podcast Mind Over Medals.
Uthappa noted that it is difficult for someone like Kohli to not score a hundred in two years.
'The kind of thoughts that must be going through his mind, the ghosts that he must be dealing with must be immense,' he said.
Uthappa highlighted the mental battle an athlete experiences during these period, which he feels are the 'lonely battles' a sportsperson faces during their career.
'If you feel someone is off, then you ask them 'Hey, how are you? Are you okay? Do you want to talk about something?' To have that much empathy as a human being to ask 'Is everything fine?''
'I really hope somebody is doing that with Virat Kohli, because it's very hard for someone like him, the kind of thoughts that must be going through his mind.'