Virat Kohli recently opened up about India’s painful loss in the 2019 ODI World Cup, describing it as a “horrible hangover.” As India’s captain, the 2019 World Cup was his first and only, with the team going into the tournament as favorites. They dominated the league stage, winning seven out of nine matches, but their hopes were dashed in the semi-final by New Zealand, who triumphed by 18 runs.

Kohli recalled the emotional aftermath of the loss, explaining how the next morning he felt disoriented and lost. “I had no idea what I wanted to do, whether I wanted to drink coffee, brush my teeth… I was completely gone,” Kohli shared in the RCB podcast. He likened the feeling to the haze one experiences after a hangover, struggling to make sense of the situation.

He also mentioned how rain delays hindered the team’s momentum, further adding to the frustration. Despite the difficulty in accepting the defeat, Kohli emphasized the need to move on, acknowledging that though hard to process, accepting the loss was essential to moving forward.

After the World Cup, Kohli’s captaincy continued until 2021, though India faced setbacks in the World Test Championship final and the T20 World Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stage.