"He still had two years left in him": Ravi Shastri speaks on Kohli's sudden Test exit

Virat Kohli’s surprise decision to retire from Test cricket has stirred emotions across the cricketing world, and perhaps no one feels the loss more keenly than Ravi Shastri. The former India head coach, who shared a close working relationship with Kohli during a transformative era for Indian cricket, recently opened up about the star batter’s exit from the longest format of the game, and he believes the decision had little to do with form or fitness.

In a heartfelt conversation with Sportstar, Shastri reflected on what could have been and the toll elite sport can take on the mind. “I’m convinced Virat still had two good years of Test cricket left in him,” he said. “I would have loved to see him in England this summer. Honestly, it would’ve made perfect sense to hand him the captaincy again, even just for that series.”

Kohli, known for his intense passion and unrelenting drive on the field, shocked fans and pundits alike when he walked away from the format he once called the “purest” form of the game. For Shastri, the answer might lie beyond statistics and scoreboards.

“He was as fit as ever – probably one of the fittest in the squad,” Shastri continued. “But at this level, the mind is everything. Only he knows what was going on in his head. I wouldn't be surprised if mental fatigue played a big part. The pressure, the expectations – it adds up, even for someone as mentally tough as Virat.”

Kohli’s numbers speak volumes: 123 Tests, 8,230 runs, 28 centuries – and just 770 runs shy of the 10,000 mark. But numbers alone don’t capture what he brought to Indian cricket: the attitude, the aggression, the refusal to back down.

“He never gave an inch,” Shastri said with pride. “That’s the Virat I’ll always remember. A champion in every sense.”

As India prepares for a challenging five-Test series against England, Kohli’s absence will be more than just a missing name on the team sheet – it’ll be the missing heartbeat of a generation that redefined India’s approach to Test cricket.

While he continues to play in ODIs, Shastri doesn’t see Kohli sticking around the sport in any traditional post-retirement role. “He’s not the kind to hang around the commentary box or take up coaching. When he’s done, he’ll walk away completely. That’s just who he is.”