Ravichandran Ashwin reveals conversation on Virat Kohli’s sudden Test retirement

R. Ashwin has made a shocking revelation about Virat Kohli's sudden retirement from Test cricket, saying that Kohli still has Test cricket left in him. "If he says he wants to come back, that would be great," he said. "However, this decision wasn't easy for him."

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 09:37 AM (IST)
Ravichandran Ashwin reveals conversation on Virat Kohli’s sudden Test retirement
Ravichandran Ashwin reveals conversation on Virat Kohli’s sudden Test retirement

R. Ashwin, who has been a teammate of Virat Kohli for a number of years, said that he told Virat that he still has a lot of Test cricket in him. Virat Kohli surprised everyone by announcing his retirement from Test cricket before the tour of England last year, even though it was thought that he still had a lot of cricket left in him in the longest format of the game. This was in the middle of IPL 2025, when people were concerned about his form in red-ball cricket.

He has been in the papers for a while after a tough tour of Australia, where he was getting out outside his off stump. In a bid to get some closure, he played in the Ranji Trophy. However, his runs failed there either. Ultimately, Kohli decided to retire from Test cricket, bringing an abrupt end to a glorious era in red-ball cricket.

In 123 Test matches, Kohli scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. Since his debut in 2011, he has displayed a combination of aggressive thinking and remarkable consistency during his captaincy. He led India to historic victories, set new records, and left a legacy as India's most successful Test captain.

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Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel that he told him directly that he still had something left in Test cricket. He still had something left in Test cricket, but, frankly, there's a problem with the mindset in India.

Ashwin continued his discussion on Kohli's Test retirement, speaking about his team-first attitude and the difficult decision to step away from red-ball cricket. He also emphasized the respect and principles that defined his career. He said, "If you look at it from the perspective of Virat's values ​​and principles, he always puts the team first."

Even in press conferences, he always said that the team is most important and we have to win. He has said all these things. For him to say, "Okay, I've retired, but now I want to come back," is not an easy decision for him. But, I'm sure he still has some Test cricket left in him.

Muskan Kumawat Muskan Kumawat is a Journalist & Content Writer at Sangri Times English, covering a wide range of topics, including news, entertainment, and trending stories. With a strong passion for storytelling and in-depth reporting, she delivers engaging and informative content to readers.