Virat Kohli felt it’s time to go from Indian Test team: Ravi Shastri reveals on shock retirement

Dubai: Virat Kohli stunned the cricketing world with his sudden Test retirement. He offered no explanation for the abrupt decision — but former India coach Ravi Shastri wasn’t caught off guard. In fact, he says Kohli had already made peace with his choice.

Speaking to The ICC Review, Shastri revealed that Kohli had confided in him a week before the announcement and had made peace with the decision. “His mind was very clear,” said Shastri. “He had given everything. There were no regrets. The mind had told the body: it’s time to go.”

Kohli, 36, bowed out as one of India’s greatest-ever Test batters, finishing with 9,230 runs and 30 centuries — the fourth-most runs in India’s Test history. With a five-match Test series in England just around the corner, his departure has left a noticeable void in the side.

Shastri, who formed a formidable captain-coach partnership with Kohli between 2017 and 2021, said their conversation confirmed Kohli was at peace with his call.

“There were one or two questions I asked, and that is a personal conversation,” he said. “But he made it very clear — there were no doubts. And that made me think: yes, the time is right.”

Shastri pointed to Kohli’s trademark intensity as both his strength and his burden.

“If he decided to do something, he gave his 100 per cent,” he said. “But that much involvement… there’s going to be a burnout if you don’t rest or compartmentalise.”

Known for wearing his emotions on his sleeve, Kohli’s all-in mentality meant he carried the weight of the team far beyond his individual role.

“When the team went out, it was as if he had to take all the wickets, all the catches, and make all the decisions,” Shastri said. “That’s not sustainable forever.”

Kohli’s stardom, Shastri added, came with its own pressures. “He has a bigger following than any other cricketer in the last decade,” he said. “Whether it was Australia or South Africa, people just watched when he played.”

That following, Shastri explained, created a complex dynamic. “It was a love-hate relationship. He could get under your skin. His celebrations, his intensity — it was like a rash. It spread. Not just in the dressing room, but in living rooms.”

Despite their conversation, even Shastri admitted he expected Kohli to play a bit longer.

“Virat surprised me,” he said. “I thought he had at least two-three years of Test cricket left. But when you’re mentally overcooked, that’s what tells the body. You might be the fittest guy around, but if you’re mentally done, the message is clear: that’s it.”

Together, Kohli and Shastri led India through one of its most dominant Test periods. Highlights included a maiden series win in Australia, back-to-back series triumphs in the West Indies, and a rare series win in Sri Lanka after 22 years. The team also held their own in South Africa and England — conditions that have historically challenged subcontinental sides.

Shastri believes Kohli walks away with nothing left to prove. “At times, when you quit the game, you think later, ‘I wish I had done this,’” he said. “But [Kohli] has done everything — led India, won an Under-19 World Cup, and played in all formats. There’s nothing left.”