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"Saw Virat Bhai Cry": Chahal Reveals Kohli's Emotional 2019 World Cup Heartbreak

Soumyajit Dutta

Virat Kohli and Yuzvendra Chahal [Source: @Raj Shamani/YouTube.com]Virat Kohli and Yuzvendra Chahal [Source: @Raj Shamani/YouTube.com]

Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has revealed the raw emotional toll of India's 2019 World Cup semi-final defeat, disclosing he witnessed Virat Kohli and several teammates breaking down in tears after their 18-run loss to New Zealand. The heartbreaking exit at Manchester's Old Trafford, which marked MS Dhoni's final ODI, left the dressing room devastated despite a valiant bowling effort that restricted NZ to 239/8.

Chahal made these poignant revelations on Raj Shamani's podcast Figuring Out, where he contrasted Kohli and Rohit Sharma's leadership styles before recalling the traumatic post-match scenes from cricket's biggest stage.

Chahal Reveals Emotional Scenes After 2019 Loss

When asked about Virat Kohli's emotional nature on the podcast, Chahal shared that the Indian team was heartbroken and even an aggressive and brave Kohli on the field was in tears.

"2019 World Cup, I saw him crying in the bathroom. And then I was the last batter - when I was crossing him, he had tears in his eyes. In 2019, I saw everyone crying in the bathroom," Chahal said on the podcast.

The defeat was particularly crushing for Kohli, who had scored five half-centuries in the tournament but fell for just 1 (6 balls) to Trent Boult in the chase. Chahal himself carried regrets about his expensive spell (1/63 in 10 overs), especially with Dhoni's career ending in anti-climax.

"It was Mahi bhai's last match... I could have done better. I still regret that. I could have leaked 10-15 fewer runs. In semi-finals, you need to give 10-15% extra." Chahal added.

Chahal on Rohit-Kohli's Contrasting Captaincy Styles

Earlier in the conversation, Yuzvendra Chahal analysed the leadership approaches of India's two modern greats and revealed how their energy is usually on the ground.

"I love how Rohit bhaiya carries himself on the ground. He’s a very good captain. With Virat bhaiya, it’s the energy he brings, the same energy every day. It will only go up and never down. Same energy. Every day," Chahal added.

The reference to Kohli's visible emotion drew parallels to his recent IPL 2025 final tears when Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally clinched their maiden title.

Nevertheless, the 2019 exit remains one of Indian cricket's most painful moments - a tournament where India topped the group stage only to collapse to 24/4 in the semi-final chase. Ravindra Jadeja and Dhoni staged a late fightback, but the damage was done.