Kohli finally breaks silence on his test retirement, says 'You know it's time when...'

Sports News: India's former captain Virat Kohli has finally spoken on his Test retirement after announcing it almost two months ago. The announcement came as a shock to the cricketing fraternity, as one of the fittest cricketers in the world decided to quit at 36. In a fundraising event organized by Yuvraj Singh on July 8 for his foundation, YouWeCan, Kohli was seen speaking about his retirement. The former test batter was surely one of India's finest across formats. With 9320 runs in 123 test matches, Kohli displayed one of the best batting careers.

Kohli at the event

Virat Kohli shared the stage with other cricketing legends like Chris Gayle, Ravi Shastri, Kevin Pietersen, and Darren Gough when he was called upon the stage by the host, Gaurav Kapoor. When asked about his retirement, Kohli said, "I just colored my beard two days ago. You know it's time when you are coloring your beard every four days." On 12th May 2025, the veteran Indian cricketer announced his retirement and shared a heartfelt note on his Instagram account. He was the most important figure in India's overseas triumph. Kohli also became the first Indian captain to win a test series down under in 2018-19.

On his bond with Yuvraj Singh

Kohli shared his relationship with the former teammate Yuvraj Singh and others. "We shared a very good bond both on and off the field. I met him (Yuvraj) for the first time during a North Zone tournament in Bangalore. When I started playing for India, he, Bhajju Pa, and Zaheer Khan took me under their wings. They really helped me grow as a player and made me comfortable in the dressing room. A lot of fun times off the field, and they made me aware of the lifestyle of getting to the top. These are the bonds I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Watching him in the World Cup was very special, and what we got to know after that was a shock. Being so close to him... we had no idea. Then his battle with cancer and again the champion that he is... coming out on top and making a comeback to the team when I was leading the team," said Kohli at the event.

Virat at Wimbledon

The Indian cricketer was also seen at Wimbledon two days ago. He was spotted cheering for the legendary tennis star, Novak Djokovic, whom he called 'gladiator' after his win. Kohli watched the match alongside his wife, Anushka Sharma.