Former Team India head coach and Australian legend Greg Chappell made a massive claim regarding Virat Kohli's retirement ahead of the highly anticipated Test series against England. Chappell stated that Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket was due to mental fatigue rather than diminished skill.
Virat Kohli surprised fans and experts alike by announcing his retirement from Test cricket last month via Instagram. The 36-year-old batter had struggled with form in the longer format in recent times, managing an average of 22.47 across his last ten Tests, with only two half-centuries in 19 innings.
In his ESPNCricinfo column, Greg Chappell said that Virat Kohli was no longer as clear and decisive as before, which affected his decision-making, footwork, and natural instinct on the field. He noted that a player’s form depends more on mental strength than just physical technique.
"His decision was not born of diminished skill, but from the growing realisation that he could no longer summon the mental clarity that had once made him so formidable. He accepted that, at the highest level, unless the mind is sharp and decisive, the body falters," Chappell said.
"When doubt begins to settle in the bones, it disrupts decision-making, impairs footwork, and erodes the spontaneity essential to elite performance. Kohli’s retirement is a reminder that form is more a function of the mind than it is of mechanics," he added.
Virat Kohli Ended his Test Career as India’s Fourth-Highest Run-Scorer
Since early 2020, Kohli’s performance in Test cricket has declined noticeably, with only three centuries in his last 39 matches. He remains India’s fourth-highest Test run-scorer, amassing 9,230 runs in 123 games, including 30 centuries.
The 36-year-old played his last Test match in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia, where India lost 1-3. Kohli began that series strongly with a century in Perth but struggled afterward, scoring only 190 runs in nine innings.
Most of his dismissals involved edging balls outside off-stump. Without that century, his overall numbers for the series would have looked even worse. Kohli also played a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi against Railways, following the BCCI’s directive.
Virat Kohli Clinched the Maiden IPL Title with RCB in 2025
Virat Kohli finally secured his first IPL title with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2025 season, ending a long wait since he joined the franchise in 2008. Despite setting multiple individual records over the years, team success had eluded him until now.
In IPL 2025, Kohli scored 657 runs with eight half-centuries, playing a crucial role in RCB’s maiden championship win. He was instrumental in the final against Punjab Kings (PBKS), scoring a vital 43 runs off 35 balls.
Kohli holds the record as the IPL’s highest run-scorer, amassing 8,661 runs in 267 matches, including eight centuries and 64 fifties. He has retired from T20 internationals and will now focus solely on playing ODIs for India.
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