Virat Kohli confirms he's all but played his last Test in Australia, India's 1-3 loss his swansong: 'Don't be nervous'
Virat Kohli opened up about his struggles on the recent Australia tour, where he scored 190 runs in 9 innings.
Star India batter Virat Kohli gave a major hint regarding his international future, saying he might not have another Australia tour in him. In the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the right-handed batter failed to get going after scoring a century in the second innings of the series opener in Perth. In the five-match series, Kohli kept getting out in a similar fashion as he constantly chased deliveries bowled well outside off stump.
Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood troubled Virat Kohli in the entire series as the former India captain scored 190 runs in 9 innings.
Australia is one place that has often brought out the best in Virat Kohli. Who can forget his knock in the 2014 Adelaide Test, where he scored centuries in both innings? However, the 2024-25 tour marked a stark difference, as the maverick batter looked a pale shadow of himself.
His numbers would have looked all the more abysmal had Virat Kohli not scored a century in the second innings of the Perth Test. While speaking at RCB Innovation Labs on Saturday, Kohli also said that he is at peace with whatever happened during his probable last tour Down Under.
“If you ask me the intensity of how disappointed I've been... for me the most recent Australia tour would be the one that's most fresh. So, it might feel the most intense to me. But I can't look at it that way. I might not have an Australia tour again in me in four years' time,” Kohli said.
“I don't have the chance to correct it. So you have to make peace with whatever's happened in your life. Like in 2014 (against England) I still had the chance to go in 2018 and do what I did. It might not have been the case,” he added.
However, he also said he is not making any announcements for now as he still loves the game very much. “Don't get nervous. I'm not making any announcements. As of now, everything is fine. I still love playing the game,” said Kohli.
India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1-3, so the side did not progress to the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) for the first time.
Kohli might not get a chance to tour Australia again for a Test series as the next visit Down Under will probably be scheduled for the 2028-29 season.
“Once you start thinking of the disappointment from the outside, then you start burdening yourself way more. That's something that I've surely experienced in Australia as well. Because I got a good score in the first Test. I thought, right, let's go,” said Kohli.
"There's going to be another big series for me. It didn't turn out that way. How do you cope up with this? For me, it's just about acceptance. This is what happened. I'm going to be honest with myself," he added.
India the best side in the Champions Trophy
Virat Kohli also said that India was the best side in the Champions Trophy; hence, it is no surprise that Rohit Sharma and co. were able to win the title without suffering a single defeat in the 2025 edition of the eight-team tournament.
India defeated New Zealand in the final of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium. Virat Kohli was one of India's stand-out performers, scoring a century against Pakistan. He also played a crucial 84-run knock off 98 balls in the semi-final against Australia.
Kohli also said he might come out of T20I retirement in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. For the uninitiated, cricket will be a part of the Games, and Kohli feels that winning the gold medal will be a whole other feeling.
"I don't know, maybe if we're playing for the gold medal I might sneak in for one game, get the medal and come back home," Kohli said.
“No, but I think it's a great thing. To be Olympic champions would be an absolutely magnificent feeling. A first of its kind and I'm sure we'll be somewhere close to that,” he added.
