Virat Kohli not retiring yet, shares Rahul Dravid's advice on retirement

Champion batter Virat Kohli has made it clear that he is not considering retirement at the moment. Speaking at a session at the RCB Innovation Lab, Kohli stated that his passion for the game remains strong and his competitive spirit is intact.

 

"Don't get nervous. I'm not making any announcements. As of now, everything is fine. I still love playing the game," he said. Kohli played a key role in India's recent Champions Trophy triumph in Dubai, and after the victory, skipper Rohit Sharma also dismissed the retirement speculations around him.

 

A sportsperson's challenge in finding the right time to retire

 

 

Kohli acknowledged that a sportsperson's "competitive streak" makes it difficult to decide the right time to step away from the game.

 

"You know the competitive streak doesn't allow you to find the answer (for the retirement question). I had a very interesting conversation about this with Rahul Dravid. 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. You might be going through a lean phase and you feel like this is it. But it might not be. But then when it is time, my competitive streak would not allow me to accept it. Maybe one more month. Maybe six more months. So I think it's a fine balance. At this point in my life, I feel pretty happy," he explained.  Check IPL 2025 full schedule, venue, live match timings here

 

Age makes staying at the top harder

 

Kohli admitted that advancing age has made the process of maintaining peak performance more difficult.

 

"I want to be able to have all my energy in place. Now, it takes much more effort, as people who have played the game for a long period of time understand. You can't do so many things in your mid to late 30s that you can in your mid-20s. I'm at a bit of a different place in my life as well.

 

"I think for me it's a natural progression. I'm sure all these young guys will hopefully get to that place. But now, the energy that's coming out of me feels very peaceful and calm," he said.

 

No longer playing for milestones

 

Kohli emphasised that he is now playing cricket purely for the joy of it rather than chasing achievements.

 

"It's pretty much come down to just the pure joy, enjoyment, competitive streak, and love for the game. And as long as that is there, I will continue to play. As I said today, I am not playing for any achievement," he stated.

 

Learning to accept batting failures

 

The 36-year-old also shared his perspective on handling failures, saying he has learned to accept them. He recalled his recent struggles in an away series against Australia, where his form dipped after scoring a hundred in the first Test in Perth.

 

"If you ask me the intensity of how disappointed I've been... for me, the most recent Australia tour would be the one that's most fresh. So, it might feel the most intense to me. But I can't look at it that way. I might not have an Australia tour again in me in four years' time.

 

"I don't have the chance to correct it. So you have to make peace with whatever's happened in your life. Like in 2014 (against England), I still had the chance to go in 2018 and do what I did. It might not have been the case."

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Blocking out external noise

 

Kohli stressed the importance of shutting out external noise to keep away from unnecessary pressure.

 

"Once you start thinking of the disappointment from the outside, then you start burdening yourself way more. That's something that I've surely experienced in Australia as well. Because I got a good score in the first Test. I thought, right, let's go.

 

"There's going to be another big series for me. It didn't turn out that way. How do you cope up with this? For me, it's just about acceptance. This is what happened. I'm going to be honest with myself," he noted.

 

Kohli's comments reaffirm his commitment to the game while offering insights into the mental challenges faced by seasoned cricketers as they navigate the latter stages of their careers.