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Former India cricketer Ravi Shastri has revealed the conversation with batting maestro Virat Kohli before his retirement from Test cricket.
Virat, 36, took retirement from the longest form of the game on 12 May ahead of the five-match Test series against England.
Virat Kohli has represented India in 123 Test matches since his debut in 2011 against the West Indies. Throughout his remarkable 14-year career, he has scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries.
The 37-year-old batter has also captained India in 68 Test matches, winning 40 and losing only 17.
Ravi Shastri revealed the chat with Virat Kohli before his retirement, stating that he had decided on retirement.
“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 us everything,” he said in a recent interview.
“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,” he added.
However, Ravi Shastri said he was amused by Virat’s retirement decision. He noted that mental exhaustion can significantly impact an athlete, stating that even if one is in peak physical condition.
“Virat surprised me because I thought he had at least two-three years of Test match cricket left in him,” Ravi Shastri said.
“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 concluded.
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