Virat Kohli had to dig deep to get out of slump: Shikhar Dhawan explains what sets India star apart 

Mumbai: Senior India player, Shikhar Dhawan, in the India Today Conclave spoke about what makes Virat Kohli special. Dhawan gave a brief glimpse of what possibly Virat Kohli went through during his rough patch of form. 

Senior India player Shikhar Dhawan gave a rare glimpse in the life of Virat Kohli on Saturday, 5 November. Speaking at the India Today Conclave at Mumbai, Dhawan spoke about the time Kohli was in a rough patch of form and what it took for him to get out of that. 

The batter wished Kohli on his 34th birthday and wished him the best of luck for his future. Asked about Kohli's change of fortune from the Pakistan game in the T20 World Cup, Dhawan said that for a cricketer like Virat Kohli, it was more important to follow the process rather than listening to the criticism about his performances. 

"Virat Kohli is doing very well in this tournament, so many congratulations to him. I wish him a very happy birthday, from the depth of my heart. India is peaking at the right time and I am rooting for them," Dhawan said in the India Today Conclave in Mumbai.  

"Virat’s self belief is very strong, his mindset is very positive when you talk to him and its all about how you talk to yourself. You can be your best friend or your own victim, that is totally dependent on you. He is quite disciplined as well, he ate everything and quite fat and he changed all of that with his will power. This mixed with his skill got him success," Dhawan said. 

Asked of there was something special about Delhi players, Dhawan said that it was their bold attitude in the field that sets them apart. 

"For the players from Delhi belt, that have strength and boldness to perform that is why Delhi players are special," Dhawan said. 

"Fans believe in the end result and their emotions are molded by the end result, but cricketers do not think that way. They have their process, they believe in it and that is where the difference lies. 

As a sportsman, you have to have the strength and will power to shield yourself from the negative comments. If you start getting affected by it, your positivity goes away," Dhawan explained how a player deals with criticism. 

Speaking about Kohli's process, Dhawan said that he had to dig deep to get out of his slump, but that is generally true for all cricketers. 

"When someone does not perform, you go through stress. You dig deeper and go through self-reflection. Every phase in life teaches you something and it is about the journey and not the destination. Once the individual realises that it is about the journey, it is more fun," Dhawan concluded on the matter. 

Shikhar Dhawan, Indian Cricketer.