Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the Indian team recently won the Champions Trophy 2025, marking their third title in the tournament’s history. Star batsman Virat Kohli played a crucial role in this victory, delivering a match-winning century against Pakistan in the final and an outstanding performance against Australia in the semi-final.
Virat Kohli’s Statement on Retirement
Before the Champions Trophy, there were concerns about Kohli’s form, especially after his below-par performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy during India’s tour of Australia. However, with his brilliant performances in the Champions Trophy, Kohli silenced all critics. He has now made it clear that he is not thinking about retirement and is still enjoying the game. His competitive spirit remains strong, and captain Rohit Sharma also dismissed any retirement talks about Kohli after India’s title win.
Kohli revealed that he once discussed his retirement plans with Rahul Dravid, planning for the final phase of his career. Dravid advised him to assess where he stands in his life before making any decision. Kohli hinted that the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy might have been his last tour of Australia, as he may not visit the country again in four years.
During the RCB Innovation Lab’s Indian Sports Summit, Kohli said:
“The recent Australia tour was quite disappointing for me. Maybe I won’t get a chance to tour Australia again in four years. I had the chance to correct my past performances in England in 2018 after my struggles in 2014. But now, I won’t get another opportunity to fix what happened in Australia.”
“Don’t Panic, I’m Not Announcing Anything”
Kohli emphasized that he is not making any retirement announcement. He stated that he still loves playing the game, and his decision will be based on his passion, competitive mindset, and love for cricket rather than personal milestones.
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He shared a key conversation with Rahul Dravid, where Dravid told him:
“You need to figure out where you are in life. The answer is not always simple. You might be going through a tough phase and feel like it’s time to quit. But that might not be the case. However, when the time comes, my competitive spirit may not allow me to accept it easily.”
At 36 years old, Kohli admitted that he is more at peace with himself and understands that as players age, they have to manage their energy and efforts wisely.
“Maybe another month, maybe six more months, I don’t know. Right now, I feel happy and content. I want to channel my energy in the right direction. At this stage of my career, it takes more effort to stay at the top level, which is something only long-term players understand. You cannot do the same things in your 30s that you could in your 20s. I believe young players will also reach this stage someday. Right now, I feel at peace with my energy and my game.”
