"Don’t get nervous, I am not making any announcements" - Virat Kohli shuts down retirement talk with reassuring remark
Senior Team India batter Virat Kohli shut down talks of immediate retirement by reassuring fans at a recent event that he is not thinking of hanging up his boots. The 36-year-old stated that he would continue playing cricket as long as he enjoys the game.
Over the last few months, there has been plenty of chatter around Kohli and Rohit Sharma's future in international cricket. Both senior batters had poor Test tours of Australia. And even after both played crucial roles in India's 2025 Champions Trophy triumph, many wondered whether it was the duo's swansong.
Speaking at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit, powered by Leaders, Kohli opened up on his current mindset as a cricketer in a candid chat with Isa Guha at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru. He commented (as quoted by Sportstar):
“Today, I am not playing for achievements. It’s pretty much come down to the pure joy of playing. As long as that feeling is intact, I will continue playing. I have to be honest about that with myself. I had this interesting conversation with Rahul Dravid when he was our coach. He said one always has to stay in touch with oneself to figure out where one is placed in life."
Sensing that the discussion was somewhat inadvertently veering towards his future in the game, the Indian legend assured fans in a comforting tone. He said:
"Don’t get nervous, I am not making any announcements. As of now, everything seems fine."
Kohli finished as India's second-leading run-getter during their 2025 Champions Trophy campaign. In five innings, he scored 218 runs at an average of 54.50 and a strike rate of 82.89. The right-handed batter scored an unbeaten 100 off 111 balls in the group match against Pakistan and contributed a defining 84 off 98 deliveries in the first semifinal against Australia in Dubai.
Virat Kohli is gearing up for IPL 2025
Having played a key role in Team India's 2025 Champions Trophy triumph, Kohli is now preparing to feature in IPL 2025 for his franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The star batter joined his franchise on Saturday, March 15, ahead of the IPL 2025 season.
The former India captain will likely be seen in action during the tournament opener when RCB take on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Kohli is the all-time leading run-getter in the IPL. In 252 matches, he has amassed 8,004 runs at an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 131.97, with eight hundreds and 55 half-centuries to his credit.