“I just coloured my beard two days ago” - Virat Kohli finally opens up on his Test retirement

Indian talismanic batter Virat Kohli has finally opened up on his Test retirement two months after announcing it on social media ahead of the England tour. Notably, Kohli marked his presence in a charity event hosted by the former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh’s foundation, YouWeCan.

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Kohli was part of the event alongside his former RCB teammate Chris Gayle, the entire Indian cricket team, including the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, and former legendary cricketers like Ravi Shastri, Sachin Tendulkar, Kevin Pietersen, Brian Lara, and Ashish Nehra.

Although Kohli didn’t receive a farewell match after retiring from the longest format of the game, the event host, Gaurav Kapoor, attempted to gather a few responses from the Indian great on why he stepped down from the game and how everyone misses him greatly on the field.

"I just coloured my beard two days ago. You know it's time when you are colouring your beard every four days," said Kohli, as quoted by the Times of India. 

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Furthermore, Kohli also talked about the former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri, under whom India went on to become one of the greatest Test cricketing nations away from home. Kohli thanked Shastri for being a massive part of his cricketing journey.

"Honestly, if I wasn't working with him (Ravi Shastri)... what happened in Test cricket wouldn't have been possible. The clarity which we had together is very hard to find. It's everything for cricketers to grow in their careers. Even he hadn't backed me the way he did... those press conferences where he took the bullets from the front line. Things would have been different and I always have respect and regard for him, for being a massive part of my cricketing journey," Kohli added.

Additionally, Virat Kohli went down memory lane, recalling his initial days and sharing the Indian dressing room with legendary Indian cricketers like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Zaheer Khan. 

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He also recalled how Yuvraj played match-winning knocks in the World Cup 2011 despite battling with cancer and how he made a comeback when he was leading the team.

"We shared a very good bond both on and off the field. I met him for the first time during a North Zone tournament in Bangalore. When I started playing for India, him, bhajju pa and Zaheer Khan took me under their wings. Really helped me grow as a player, made me comfortable in the dressing room. Lot of fun times off the field and made me aware of the lifestyle of getting to the top. These are the bonds I would cherish for the rest of my life. Watching him in the World Cup was very special and what we got to know after that was a shock. Being so close to him... we had no idea. Then his battle with cancer and again the champion that he is... coming on top and making a comeback to the team when I was leading the team,” he stated.

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