'There were one or two questions...': Ravi Shastri reveals conversation with Virat Kohli ahead of shock Test retirement

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has confirmed reports indicating that Virat Kohli consulted him before announcing his retirement from Test cricket earlier this year. The Indian cricket icon concluded his illustrious career in the longest format of the game, which spanned over 14 remarkable years. Shastri disclosed that Kohli had already made his decision before their conversation. 

The former head coach of the Indian cricket team expressed that, after their discussion, he was convinced that Kohli's choice to step away from Test cricket was indeed timely and well-considered.

“I did speak to him about it, I think a week before that [his announcement] and his mind was very clear that he’d given us everything. There were no regrets. There were one or two questions I asked, and that’s a personal conversation which,ou know, he mentioned very clearly, there were no doubts in his mind, which made me think, ‘Yes, the time is right’. The mind has told his body that it’s time to go," said Shastri in a chat with Sanjana Ganeshan on ICC Review.

Shastri expressed his admiration for Kohli, saying that he gave it his all and would not look back on his career with regret.

“If he decided to do something, then he gave his 100%, which is not easy to match,” Shastri said. “Individually, as a bowler, as a batsman. A player does his job, [and] then you sit back. But [with Kohli] when the team goes out, it’s as if he has to take all the wickets, he has to take all the catches, he has to make all the decisions on the field.

"That much involvement, I would think there’s going to be a burnout somewhere if he doesn’t take a rest, if he doesn’t compartmentalise how much he wants to play across formats, there is bound to be a burnout," said Shastri.

Shastri stated that he thought Kohli could have continued playing cricket for two to three more years, therefore he was taken aback by his choice.  But the cricket player-turned-commentator acknowledged that Kohli had descended into mental exhaustion.

“Virat surprised me because I thought he had at least two-three years of Test match cricket left in him. But then, when you’re mentally fried and overcooked, that’s what tells your body. You might be physically the fittest guy in the business. You might be fitter than half the guys in your team, but mentally you’re well done, as they say, then it sends a message to the body. You know, that’s it," he concluded.

Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket, just weeks before India's five-Test tour of England in June. Kohli concludes his illustrious Test career as one of the premier batsmen of his generation, amassing a remarkable 9,230 runs in the format—ranking him as the fourth-highest run-scorer among Indian cricketers—and achieving an impressive 30 Test centuries.

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