Virat Kohli couldn’t come to terms with his own ‘failure’, retirement explained

Dubai: Virat Kohli shocked the cricketing world when he unexpectedly announced his retirement from Test cricket — especially at a time when he had both the fitness and skills to continue for another four or five years. But great players often seek the perfect exit. Many want to walk away while still near their peak, before the decline becomes too obvious. Few manage to time it well.

In Kohli’s case, reports suggest he had long communicated his decision privately. For a player who set incredibly high benchmarks, it wasn’t just about statistics. It was about personal pride — and living up to a relentless standard he’d set for himself.

Kohli’s journey in cricket has always been one of passion, grit and an uncompromising drive to be the best. The story of a teenage Kohli turning up for Delhi’s Ranji Trophy match just hours after his father’s death — and scoring a fighting 90 — is well known. It was that fire, even in grief, that foretold the champion he would become.

From there, he smashed records and made the No 4 position — once owned by Sachin Tendulkar — his own. His love for scoring runs in Australia, the toughest place for visiting batters, became a hallmark. Seven of his nine centuries against Australia came Down Under.

In a recent promo for a brand, Kohli summed up his mantra: passion brings love to your craft — and love makes hard work feel easy. He didn’t just say it. He lived it. Whether it was spending extra hours in the nets or fine-tuning his technique before a major tournament like the Champions Trophy in Dubai, Kohli never cut corners.

More than just his runs, Kohli’s energy on the field was infectious. His presence lifted those around him. Whether it was a fired-up celebration after a wicket or a steely stare from the slips, Kohli brought intensity to every moment. He played with a fierce pride that often mirrored the mood of the nation. For over a decade, he became the heartbeat of Indian cricket — not just for what he scored, but for the character he showed doing it.

So why did he walk away now?

The most plausible reason is that he couldn’t come to terms with his own dip in form. By most standards, it wasn’t a dramatic fall. But by Kohli’s standards, it was hard to stomach — a failure. The man who used to churn out centuries almost on demand had just one in the last year.

He ends his red-ball journey with 123 Tests, 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties in 210 innings. He retires as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in Tests, behind Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar. His highest score — an unbeaten 254 — is still spoken of in awe.

But he also finished 2024 with only 382 runs in 10 Tests at an average of 22.47. In his last series in Australia, he managed just 190 runs in nine innings. That tour may well have eroded his confidence. For a man who once dreamt of entering the 10,000-run club in Tests, the fact he fell 730 runs short — and in touching distance of a five-match series in England — says something.

Kohli leaves the game with a full trophy cabinet — the 50-over World Cup, the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy — but the World Test Championship title is the one crown that eluded him. He could have stayed on to begin the new WTC cycle with the upcoming England tour. But he chose otherwise.

“There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever,” he wrote in his farewell note on Instagram. “I’m walking away with a heart full of gratitude… I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile.”

Perhaps that was always the plan — to step away before the noise got louder, before his dip became a narrative he couldn’t control. Kohli may not have bowed out at the top, but he certainly didn’t go out broken.

He gave the game his all. And in return, he gave fans joy — and a cover drive that will echo in cricketing memory for generations.