VIRAT Kohli has revealed the depths of his despair during his horror tour of England in 2014, and how he vowed to do everything in his power to never slump to such lows ever again.

Kohli spoke openly this week during an Instagram conversation with former England skipper Kevin Pietersen, detailing just how much he struggled mentally during India’s tour of the UK almost six years ago.

One of the world’s leading batsmen endured one of his worst ever series on that tour, averaging just 13.40 from 10 innings with a top score of 39.

In series consisting of three or more Tests, it’s statistically the second-worst batting campaign of his decorated career, behind the 2017 home series against Australia when he averaged just 9.20 from five innings.

Kohli said the England tour was “the lowest point in my career”.

“I felt like … as a batsman, you know you are going to get out in the morning when you wake up,” Kohli told Pietersen.

“That was the time I felt like that: that there is no chance I am getting runs. And still to get out of bed and just get dressed for the game and to go out there and go through that, knowing that you will fail, was something that ate me up.

“It just demolished me completely. And I promised myself I am never going to allow myself to feel like ever again in life.”

Kohli made a triumphant return to the UK four years later, banishing his demons with a century in the opening Test and finishing the series as the leading run-scorer from both teams, averaging a touch under 60.

He said the lessons learned from that 2014 campaign have always stayed with him.

“That (2014 series) happened, for all the younger guys listening, because I was too focused on doing well from a personal point of view,” he said.

“I wanted to get runs. I could never think of ‘what does the team want me to do in this situation?’.

“I just got too engulfed with England tour – if I perform here, Test cricket, in my mind I’m going to feel established and all that crap on the outside, which is not important at all.

“It just ate me up. I just kept going into a downward spiral and I just couldn’t get out of it. Horrible.”

“If you are too personal in your approach, if you are too self-centred, you are just thinking about yourself, then you are just looking for ways to get out eventually because people are going to find you out.

“You are not getting out of your comfort zone because you don’t want to fail.” (Cricket Network)