"Decision was not born of diminished skill" - Former Team India coach's massive claim on Virat Kohli's Test retirement ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 series
Former Team India head coach and Australian legend Greg Chappell believes ace batter Virat Kohli's Test retirement stemmed from mental fatigue rather than diminished skill. The 36-year-old stunned everyone concerned by announcing his retirement from the red-ball format last month through his Instagram handle.
The decision came ahead of India's highly anticipated five-Test series in England, starting June 20. Kohli had been woefully out of form in the long format, averaging an underwhelming 22.47 in his last ten Tests with only two 50+ scores in 19 innings.
Talking about Kohli's decision in his column for ESPN Cricinfo, Chappell said:
"His decision was not born of diminished skill, but from the growing realisation that he could no longer summon the mental clarity that had once made him so formidable. He accepted that, at the highest level, unless the mind is sharp and decisive, the body falters."
He added:
"When doubt begins to settle in the bones, it disrupts decision-making, impairs footwork, and erodes the spontaneity essential to elite performance. Kohli’s retirement is a reminder that form is more a function of the mind than it is of mechanics."
Virat Kohli's sub-par Test form extends further from the start of 2020, with the star batter scoring only three centuries in his last 39 outings. Nevertheless, he finished India's fourth leading run-scorer in Tests with 9,230 runs, including 30 centuries, in 123 matches.
Virat Kohli clinched his first title with RCB in IPL 2025
Virat Kohli's toil for his IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), finally paid off with a title in the recently concluded 2025 season. The veteran batter has played for RCB since the maiden IPL season in 2008, but never achieved ultimate glory despite several individual records.
However, his 657-run IPL 2025 season with eight half-centuries helped RCB break the drought and clinch their maiden title. The right-hander stepped up big in the final against the Punjab Kings (PBKS), scoring a valuable 35-ball 43.
Kohli is the IPL's all-time leading run-scorer with 8,661 runs in 267 games, including an incredible eight centuries and 64 half-centuries. He will play only ODIs for India, having retired from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup.