'I was distraught': Virat Kohli reveals defeat that was 'too tough to swallow'

Virat Kohli

India's recent ICC success may have brought an end to their long-standing trophy drought, but some World Cup defeats continue to remain difficult memories for Virat Kohli.India won back-to-back T20 World Cup titles before adding the Champions Trophy, but the heartbreak of November 19, 2023 still remains fresh in the minds of ardent cricket followers.

Rohit Sharma has spoken about that defeat on several occasions.

For Kohli, though, the 2019 World Cup semifinal loss to New Zealand remains an even more painful experience.

'2019 was a jolt for us'

The semifinal in Manchester stretched across two days after persistent rain interrupted New Zealand's innings in the 47th over. The Black Caps returned the following day to finish on 239/8 before India fell 18 runs short in the chase.The match is particularly remembered for MS Dhoni's heartbreaking run-out by Martin Guptill in the 49th over.Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who took three wickets in the game, recently described the defeat as "heartbreaking". Kohli agreed with his former India team-mate, admitting that the loss left him distraught.“Playing Australia in the 2015 semifinal, you are very well aware of your strength and weaknesses and Australia is always difficult. We always knew that if it gets to a massive score, it will be tough, and that is what happened.

They were phenomenal.“But 2019 was a jolt for us. 240... it rained out. Had we played that day, things would have been different. But next morning, fresh new ball attack. They got the best of the conditions and they put us under attack and they banked on the hesitation that we had.“That was too tough to swallow and process. I was distraught. After that I was totally gone mentally for a couple of months,” he told JioStar ahead of India’s first ODI against West Indies.

Kohli remembers 2023 dressing-room atmosphere

Kohli viewed India's run to the 2023 World Cup final differently, describing the campaign as a "massive step forward" in terms of both talent and performance.More than the results, however, he remembered the atmosphere within the squad and the way the players responded to setbacks.“That whole World Cup was great, the environment was phenomenal. Within the team, you could see the camaraderie; everyone was happy playing for each other.“Even losing someone like Hardik early on, we never spoke about what would happen next although it was a big loss in terms of what he brings. But, Shami came and you know what he can do.“So, everyone had a feeling that it was our World Cup,” he added.

'I feel the same about the World Cup final'

India's campaign ultimately ended with a defeat to Australia in the final in Ahmedabad, another result that Kohli found difficult to process.He compared the feeling to the flashbacks he experienced after the 2016 IPL final, which continued until Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the IPL in 2025.“Before we won the IPL in 2025, I used to get flashbacks of the 2016 final. I feel the same about the World Cup final as well.“I was playing on 54 and had set myself up for a big hundred; like, if I got 140-150, we would be in a great position to win that game.“But as soon as I played on, it was very tough to process for many days. And you keep thinking about it.”

Kohli's unfinished World Cup business

Despite the painful memories, Kohli does not believe his World Cup journey is complete.“The thought will never cross my mind that the business I had is finished. As long as you’re playing, there is always something to look forward to. And I’m looking forward to the World Cup, looking at what lies ahead for me.“When the World Cup is played, when we play an ICC tournament, it has its own unique challenge, because you face different opponents, you play at different venues.

“So, you have to prepare differently, think in a different way and that is the challenge,” he said.Kohli has confirmed that the 2027 ICC tournament will be his last World Cup for India. That decision has given his next campaign an added significance.“For me, it’s the last World Cup I’m going to play for India. And that is my motivation,” he added.