Virat Kohli retired due to excess cricket? Ex-World Cup winner weighs in

Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS

Former Indian wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani has suggested that Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket may have been due to the demands of playing excessive cricket. On May 12, the 36-year-old Kohli announced his retirement from the longest format, bringing an end to a nearly 14-year Test career that spanned from 2011 to 2025.

Kohli retired as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in Test cricket, joining an elite list that includes Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar. Kirmani, a member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team, said the decision was entirely Kohli’s own and that he was not under any external pressure when making it.

“I don’t feel he is after records. It might be the excess of cricket that led to this. Records don’t matter to him. I don’t think he had any sort of pressure on him while making this decision,” Kirmani told PTI Videos.

“Questions like why he’s retiring, or whether he’s out of form or under pressure, don’t make any sense. It’s a player’s individual decision,” Kirmani said.

‘Should have played a bit more’

Kohli faced a challenging time during the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Despite scoring a century in the second innings of the Perth Test, his overall performance was below par. Across five Tests, he managed just 190 runs at an average of 23.75.

His struggles continued upon his return to domestic cricket, where he failed to make an impact for Delhi in their Ranji Trophy match against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Meanwhile, Syed Kirmani expressed that Kohli still had plenty of cricket left in him and felt he should have extended his career a little longer.

“He still had a lot of cricket left in him. Everybody has to retire, but he should have played a bit more. However, I respect his decision. I wish him luck for the future,” Kirmani said.

“Virat brought consistency to the game, which made him different. He is a source of inspiration and motivation to youngsters who aspire to represent the nation, his adaptability and temperament is commendable. He is phenomenal and iconic,” Kirmani added.

With Kohli’s retirement, India have a big task in hand as they pick the Indian squad for their upcoming five-match Test series against England.

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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA