Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has confirmed media reports stating that Virat Kohli spoke to him before announcing his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, May 12. Shastri said he asked Kohli a couple of questions, which gave him the impression that the former captain was very clear in his mind that the time was right to walk away from the format he cherished the most.
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Speaking to the ICC, Shastri revealed that Kohli harboured no regrets, reinforcing his belief that it was indeed the right moment for his favourite protege to bid farewell to red-ball cricket.
Kohli stunned many in the cricketing world by announcing his immediate retirement when he was just 770 runs shy of reaching the 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket. India Today had reported earlier in May that Kohli had already informed the Indian cricket board of his decision to retire from Tests, although the BCCI had been keen to persuade him to play in the upcoming Test tour of England, which begins on 20 June.
Nevertheless, Kohli went ahead with his retirement, releasing a heartfelt farewell note in which he explained why he chose to leave behind the format that “tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life”.
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“I did speak to him about it. His mind was very clear,” Shastri said.
“I spoke to him, I think, a week before the announcement, and his mind was made up – he felt he had given everything he had.”
“There were no regrets. I asked him one or two questions – a personal conversation – and he was very clear: there were no doubts in his mind. That made me feel, ‘Yes, the time is right’. His mind had told his body it was time to go.
“Ideally, everyone might want to carry on. But, then he looks at the bigger picture. He feels he can contribute massively in the one-day game. There is a lot of franchise cricket left for him in his life,” Shastri added.
VIRAT HAD 2-3 MORE YEARS OF TEST CRICKET LEFT IN HIM: SHASTRI
Shastri praised the immense impact Kohli had on Test cricket and its global audience, saying it would be difficult for anyone to replicate the kind of intensity Kohli brought to the game in whites.
However, the former head coach admitted he still believed Kohli could have continued playing Test cricket for another couple of years.
He shed light on the toll constant scrutiny, public attention, and stardom can take on a cricketer’s mental well-being, even though Kohli remains one of the fittest players in the world.
“Virat surprised me because I thought he had at least two or three more years of Test cricket left in him,” Shastri said.
“But when you’re mentally fried and overcooked, that’s what sends signals to your body. You might be the physically fittest guy around – fitter than half the team – but if your mind is done, as they say, it tells the body, ‘That’s it’.”
Kohli will continue to represent India in One Day Internationals and play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League. His retirement from Tests came just five days after Rohit Sharma also announced his departure from the longest format.
The senior selection committee and team management will have much to consider as they prepare to select the squad for the five-Test series starting on 20 June. India are expected to announce the squad for the England tour in the final week of May.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
