Former India coach and Australian great Greg Chappell believes Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket wasn’t due to a dip in form, but rather the mental strain that comes with performing at the highest level. According to Chappell, Kohli made the difficult decision to step away after recognising he no
longer possessed the mental clarity required to thrive in elite cricket.
“His decision was not born of diminished skill, but from the growing realisation that he could no longer summon the mental clarity that had once made him so formidable. He accepted that, at the highest level, unless the mind is sharp and decisive, the body falters,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.
Virat Kohli played 123 Tests for India
“When doubt begins to settle in the bones, it disrupts decision-making, impairs footwork, and erodes the spontaneity essential to elite performance. Kohli’s retirement is a reminder that form is more a function of the mind than it is of mechanics,” Chappell added further.
Notably, Kohli played 123 Test matches for India and scored 9,230 runs in 210 innings at an average of 46.85. His highest score was an unbeaten 254. He also remains India’s most successful Test captain, having led the team in 68 matches, winning 40, losing 17, and drawing 11 — finishing with a win percentage of 58.82.
Last month, Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket through a heartfelt Instagram post. It read: “It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life. #269, signing off.”
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