India star Virat Kohli might take a break to "rejuvenate mentally and physically", but assures he is in "the happiest phase of my life".
Kohli stepped down as India's Test captain in January following a series defeat to South Africa, having already relinquished his role as skipper of his country's white-ball teams.
The 33-year-old has struggled for form in 2022, averaging 21.45 in the ongoing Indian Premier League before Thursday's clash with Gujarat Titans – his lowest figure in the tournament since 2008.
Kohli, who also gave up the captaincy at Royal Challengers Bangalore last year, has not scored a century in any format since November 2019 when he managed 136 in Kolkata against Bangladesh.
While he averages 49.95 in the longest format, Kohli acknowledged it may be time for a rest.
"It's not a lot of people who mentioned it [taking a break]," Kohli told Star Sports. "There is one person precisely who has mentioned it which is Ravi [Shastri] and that's because he has seen from close quarters over the last six, seven years the reality of the situation that I have been in.
"The amount of cricket that I have played and the ups and downs and the toll that it takes on you to play three formats of the game plus the IPL for 10, 11 years non-stop with the seven years of captaincy in between.
"It is definitely a thing that one needs to consider because you don't want to do something which you are not a part of 100 per cent and I have always believed in that in my life.
"So to take a break and when to take a break is obviously something that I need to take a call on, but it is only a healthy decision for anyone to take some time off and just rejuvenate yourself mentally and physically.
"Not so much physically because physical fitness you keep up with through the course of playing cricket all the time, but it is a mental kind of reset that you need, and you want to be excited for what you are doing. You don't want to feel like you have been forcing yourself into any situation.
"It's only a thing of creating a balance and finding that balance which is right for you as an individual moving forward and I'll definitely discuss this with all the people involved – [India coach] Rahul [Dravid], the Indian team management, everyone to chart out whatever is best for myself and for the team definitely."
Kohli would not be the first high-profile international player to take a break from cricket to prioritise their mental and physical health, given new England Test captain Ben Stokes did so last year.
However, Kohli insists he is still enjoying his game as he looks to secure a playoff spot in the IPL with Bangalore.
"Right now, there is nothing that you can point out saying there is a problem here," Kohli said.
"I know where my game stands and you cannot come this far in your international career without having the ability to counter the situations and counter conditions and counter different kinds of bowling.
"So this phase for me is the easier phase to process but I don't want to put this behind me. I want to learn from it and understand that what are the core values that I have as a sports person and as a human being.
"As long as I'm ticking those boxes, I know these are ups and downs and when I come out of this phase I know how consistent I can be. I know how motivated I will be once the scores start coming.
"My experiences are sacred to me – whatever I have experienced in this phase or in the past as well.
"So I am experiencing now that I value myself and I care for my own well-being way more than I would have in the past. And actually, contrary to a lot of belief or a lot of perceptions as I mentioned on the outside, I'm actually in the happiest phase of my life."
Proteas five wickets away from Sri Lanka series whitewash
South Africa closed in on a series whitewash of Sri Lanka on day four of the second Test in Gqeberha.
The Proteas require five wickets to complete a 2-0 win over the tourists, who need 143 runs to level the series at St George's Oval.
South Africa resumed at 191-3 on Sunday, Temba Bavuma (66) and Tristan Stubbs (47) led their charge as they continued at the crease.
David Bedingham added 35 as the hosts took their second-innings total to 317, with only Prabath Jayasuriya's five-wicket haul stopping them in their tracks.
That left Sri Lanka a target of 348, but South Africa took full advantage of the new balls, with Dimuth Karunaratne (1), Pathum Nissanka (18) and Dinesh Chandimal (29) all dismissed.
Angelo Matthews (32) and Kamindu Mendis (35) also went, though an unbroken 83-run stand between Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis steadied the ship to give Sri Lanka hope of completing an almighty turnaround.
Data Debrief: Jayasuriya into double figures in just 18th Test
Bavuma led by example for South Africa once more, with his fourth successive contribution of 50 or more.
Jayasuriya's five-wicket haul to halt the Proteas' progress was his 10th in just 18 Tests, and his first outside Sri Lanka.
The tourists' hopes are not over yet, but they must create history to level the contest. Indeed, no team has previously completed a chase of more than 271 runs at St George's Oval.
Leicester City 2-2 Brighton: Late Foxes fightback thwarts Seagulls
Leicester City scored twice in the closing stages to come back from 2-0 down and draw 2-2 with Brighton in the Premier League.
The Seagulls appeared to be on course for a comfortable victory, with a stunning first-half strike from Tariq Lamptey having been followed up by Yankuba Minteh's effort 11 minutes from time.
Brighton had controlled matters from the off, and Minteh's goal will have been the least Fabian Hurzeler felt his side deserved.
Yet, Leicester talisman Jamie Vardy dragged Ruud van Nistelrooy's Foxes back into the contest as he poked in from close range to set up a grandstand finish.
And Vardy was involved in the 91st-minute equaliser, teeing up Bobby De Cordova-Reid to tap in and claim a draw in dramatic fashion.
Leicester are now 16th, with Brighton in seventh, having missed the chance to apply more pressure to their fellow European contenders.
Data Debrief: Seagulls' King Power Stadium winless streak continues
Brighton have now failed to win two of the last three Premier League games in which they have led by two or more goals, as many as in their previous 40.
The Seagulls are still seeking their first Premier League victory away at Leicester, the joint-most they have faced a side on the road without registering a single win (also seven against Manchester City).
Vardy inspired Leicester's turnaround. Aged 37 years and 332 days, the forward is the second-oldest player in Premier League history to both score and assist a goal in a single match, after Manchester United's Ryan Giggs against Fulham in December 2011 (38 years, 22 days).
Fulham 1-1 Arsenal: Saka's late strike chalked off as Gunners held
Arsenal had a late goal disallowed as their winning run in the Premier League came to an end with a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Bukayo Saka seemed to have nodded home a winner in the 88th minute of Sunday’s contest at Craven Cottage.
However, the goal was overturned after a VAR review – Gabriel Martinelli having strayed offside before he delivered the cross – as Arsenal missed the chance to move within four points of leaders Liverpool, whose game against Everton was called off on Saturday.
VAR had earlier upheld Arsenal's equaliser, with William Saliba having turned in from Kai Havertz's header.
Fulham went ahead after 11 minutes, when Raul Jimenez drilled in to round off a swift counter-attack.
With Chelsea playing Tottenham later on Sunday, Arsenal climbed to second place on 29 points – six more than ninth-place Fulham.
Data Debrief: Gunners' struggles on the road continue
Now unbeaten in their last nine Premier League London derbies, Fulham are the only team to have avoided defeat against Arsenal in the competition since the start of last season.
The Gunners have now won just one of their last six league matches on the road, while failing to keep a clean sheet during that span.
Jimenez opened the scoring at Craven Cottage. All five of his goals this season have been the first of the game, with Dimitar Berbatov (nine in 2012-13) and Clint Dempsey (seven in 2011-12) the only Fulham players to net more openers in a single campaign.
The hosts' lead was cancelled out by Saliba's sixth Premier League goal from a set-piece since the start of last season, with team-mate Gabriel Magalhaes (10) the only defender to score more such goals during that span.
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