Virat’s Test retirement surprised me – Shastri

Virat's Test retirement surprised me – Shastri

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri revealed that Virat Kohli's decision wasn't an instinctive call. Shastri shared a close bond with Kohli, and they had a conversation about his retirement.

"I spoke to him about it, and his mind was very clear that he'd given his everything," Shastri said. "There were no regrets. There were one or two questions I asked, and that's a personal conversation which he mentioned very clearly, there were no doubts in his mind, which made me think, 'Yes, the time is right'."

Shastri believes Kohli's aggressive nature and workload as a player-captain may have undone him. "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."

Shastri was surprised by Kohli's retirement, thinking 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," he said. "You might be physically the fittest guy in the business. You might be fitter than half the guys in your team, but mentally when you're well done, as they say, then it sends a message to the body. You know, that's it."

Shastri praised Kohli's superstar aura, believing he made Test cricket a larger-than-life spectacle with his methods. "He's got accolades around the globe. He has a bigger following than any other cricketer in the last decade," Shastri said. "Whether it's Australia, whether it's South Africa, he just got people to watch the game. There was a love-hate relationship."