Virat Kohli's retirement message to Harbhajan Singh's 'heartbroken' daughter: "Beta..."

Virat Kohli's sudden withdrawal from Test cricket startled the cricket community. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) apparently wanted him to be included in the team going to England, even though he was going through a difficult time with his form. According to media reports, the BCCI even persuaded the seasoned player to change his mind, but he refused. 

Advertisment

Given his extraordinary level of fitness, many cricket legends thought that Kohli could have easily played Test cricket for at least two more years. However, the ace batsman had already made up his mind and shocked his supporters by quitting the longest format just before India's June 20 trip to England.

Both admiration and, in some cases, astonishment greeted Virat Kohli's Test retirement. Harbhajan Singh, Kohli's long-term former India colleague, appeared to have the latter. Prior to writing a longer post honouring Kohli's career, he posted "Why Retired?" on X following the latter's announcement on May 12. According to Harbhajan, his daughter also questioned Kohli about why he made the move, which caused the former India captain to react rather emotionally.

Hinaya, Harbhajan Singh's 8-year-old daughter, was devastated to learn about Virat Kohli's Test retirement from her father's X post. She may find the demands of Test cricket and the intricacies of professional sport a bit too much to handle. The young girl repeatedly questioned Harbhajan about the reasoning behind Kohli's abrupt decision, and when the former India off-spinner was unable to provide a satisfying response, she made the decision to speak with Kohli directly.

Advertisment

“I tweeted and asked," Why, Virat why? Why did you retire from Test cricket? Even my daughter asked me, ‘Papa, why did Virat retire?’ She even texted Virat asking, ‘This is Hinaya, Virat, why did you retire?’ Virat’s heart also sank. He smiled and replied, ‘Beta, it’s time,'” Harbhajan told Instant Bollywood.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!