MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni. Credits: AP

The former Indian World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni is very famous for his calm and cool brain, which he maintains even in the toughest period of the match. Recently, Dhoni opened up about handling mental issues.

In the recent press release of ‘MFORE’ – an initiative offering mind conditioning programs to achieve peak performance in sports – MS Dhoni talked about the importance of mental health. ‘MFORE’ has been founded by the former Indian batsman S Badrinath and Saravana Kumar.

MS Dhoni, mental health
MS Dhoni (Image Credit: Getty Images)

Dhoni said according to the press release, “In India, I feel there is still a big issue of accepting that there is some weakness when it comes to the mental aspects, but we generally term it as mental illness.”

Dhoni talked about the feeling of mental pressure, scare during the game. To handle this issue in sports, Dhoni pointed out the importance of the relationship between a player and coach.

Dhoni claimed, “Nobody really says that, when I go to bat, the first 5 to 10 deliveries my heart rate is elevated, I feel the pressure, I feel a bit scared because that’s how everybody feels – how to cope with that?

“This is a small problem but a lot of times we hesitate to say it to a coach and that’s why the relationship between a player and coach is very important be it any sport.”

The mental conditioning coach constantly needs to follow the player: MS Dhoni

Dhoni further talked about the importance of the mental conditioning coach. The 38-year-old wicket-keeper batsman feels that the mental conditioning coach needs to remain with the player to understand his situation continually properly.

MS Dhoni, mental health
MS Dhoni Photo Credit: BCCI.

The former Indian captain said, “Mental conditioning coach should not be the one who comes for 15 days, because when you come for 15 days you are only sharing the experience.

“If the mental conditioning coach is constantly with the player, he can understand what are the areas which are affecting his sport.”

After making his international debut in 2004, Dhoni has successfully played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs and 98 T20Is. He hasn’t played the competitive cricket match since last July, and the coronavirus has forced to delay his return to the game.

I think mental health and mental clarity is the most important factor in life: Virat Kohli

On the other hand, the present Indian captain Virat Kohli also gave his view on the importance of mental health. The 31-year-old feels that it is the most important factor in life, not only in sports.

Virat Kohli, mental health
Virat Kohli (Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images)

Kohli said, “I think mental health and mental clarity is the most important factor in life; not just in sports.”