Virat Kohli To Retire Soon? Veteran Makes Official Announcement

India’s former captain, Virat Kohli, has dropped a massive statement on his retirement ahead of the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2025. In a recent function for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), he revealed that he won’t be making any announcements soon.

It’s a sigh of relief for the fans, who would be eager to enjoy Kohli’s impact across the formats, especially in the ICC events, as the blue brigade eyes their third ODI World Cup after nearly 16 years during the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

“Don’t get nervous”- Virat Kohli drops retirement bombshell

A few speculated that just like the T20 World Cup 2024, Virat Kohli could have thought of hanging up his shoes from the ODI format to focus entirely on the longest format. But the veteran claimed that he is enjoying the time and isn’t making any announcement soon.

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“Don’t get nervous. I’m not making any announcements. As of now, everything is fine. I still love playing the game. It’s come down to pure enjoyment. As long as I have that, I will continue to play. I’m not chasing achievements anymore.” The Delhi batter expressed during a recent interaction at the RCB Innovation Programme.

He also reckoned that the players may not always get the right time to retire as he had a great conversation with the former national head coach, Rahul Dravid.

“The competitive streak doesn’t allow you to find the answer. I had a very interesting conversation with Rahul Dravid about this. He said you always have to stay in touch with yourself. Figure out where you are placed in your life, and the answer is not that easy.” Virat Kohli claimed.

“You might be going through a lean phase, and you feel like this is it. But it might not be. But then, when it was time, my competitive streak would not allow me to accept it. Maybe one more month. Maybe six more months. I think it’s a fine balance. At this point, in my life, I feel pretty happy.” The 36-year-old added.

Virat Kohli jokes about making T20I comeback on India for this reason

He also highlighted the introduction of the game in the Olympics, stating that the IPL has contributed hugely to the game’s promotion around the globe. Kohli joked about making a potential T20I comeback for India if they chase the gold medal.

“If India reaches the Olympics final in 2028, I might just think of coming out of retirement for that one match. Winning an Olympic medal would be magnificent. My transformations came after a few tough tours when I saw the guys lasting on the field longer than us.” Virat Kohli cracked at the recent Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit in Bengaluru.

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“From the team's point of view, things were not tough, but convincing my mum was tough. She thought I was looking sick. And, I told her that the world was talking about my training methods and I was not sick. I felt that I was able to do things much better.” The former RCB captain explained.

Virat Kohli aims to celebrate maiden IPL Trophy

Virat Kohli is the leading run-getter of the IPL with 8004 runs at a strike rate of over 130, thanks to eight centuries and 55 half-centuries, but has never been able to win the title in his 17-year-old career for the Bengaluru side.

Last year, he won the Orange Cap for clubbing 741 runs in 15 innings at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, thanks to five half-centuries and one century. But their campaign ended in the eliminator round. With new hopes, he will aim for their maiden title in the 18th edition.