Former Indian all-rounder and head coach Ravi Shastri has said that he spoke to Virat Kohli ahead of Kohli’s sudden retirement from Test cricket. Kohli is considered the greatest Indian Test captain, having led his side in 68 Test matches and winning 40 of them. For a large part of Virat’s tenure as Test captain, Shastri was the head coach of India. Together, they formed one of the most successful coach-captain duos in Indian cricket.
However, while talking to Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review show, Shastri said: “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 his everything.”
“There were no regrets. There were one or two questions I asked, and that’s a personal conversation which, you 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.”
“There’s nothing for Virat Kohli to achieve.” – Ravi Shastri
Shastri also admitted that he was surprised by Kohli’s decision: “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 further added: “At times when you quit the game, you know, and after a month or two months you say, ‘I wish I had done this, I wish I had done this.’ [Kohli] He’s done everything. He’s captained sides, he’s won World Cups, he’s won an Under-19 World Cup [2008] himself. I mean, there’s nothing for him to achieve.”
For the Latest Sports News: Follow RevSportz