"I am sure.."- Ravi Shastri feels Virat Kohli retired a little early from tests

Virat Kohli played 123 tests for India before his retirement.

Indian batting legend Virat Kohli pulled down the curtains on his test career on May 12. The right-handed batsman played 123 matches for Indian Cricket Team during his test career. He represented the national team in tests for 14 years from 2011 to 2025. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels Kohli retired a little early from the tests.

Virat Kohli piled up 9230 runs in 210 test innings with 31 fifties and 30 centuries. He also slammed seven double centuries in the longest format. He could not reach the 10,000-run mark in the longest format. However, he finished his career as the fourth-highest run-scorer for India in tests after legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.

Interestingly, Kohli’s retirement came as a big shock for many cricket fans as he was expected to be part of the forthcoming test series against England. India and England are set to face each other in a five-match test series next month, starting June 20.

I am sure Virat still had two years of Test cricket left in him: Ravi Shastri

Notably, Kohli ended his career in his longest format at the age of 36 years, quite earlier than many legends in the past. Cricketer-turned-commentator Shastri feels Kohli still had two years of test cricket with him. He also wished to see Kohli leading India in the forthcoming test series against England.

“I am sure Virat still had two years of Test cricket left in him. I would have loved to see him in England this summer. It would have been a good idea to hand him the captaincy for the tour, but he would know best why he decided to leave,” the 62-year-old told Sportstar.

Shastri believes Kohli might have retired due to mental fatigue and not due to fitness issues, as he was equally fit as his teammates.

“Maybe mental fatigue drove him to decide because he was as fit as any other player in the team. He knew his body best, but the mind would have played the decisive role. I will not rule out burnout as the decisive factor in curtailing his career at a critical phase of Indian cricket,” Shastri added.

Meanwhile, Kohli will continue to represent Indian Cricket Team in ODI cricket. Last year, he bid farewell to the T20Is following India’s victory in ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Just a few days before Kohli’s retirement, test skipper Rohit Sharma had announced his retirement from the longest format.

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