India’s star batter and former captain Virat Kohli shared his retirement plans in a recent statement at Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Royal Gala Dinner.
Kohli said that he doesn’t want to leave any unfinished business before bringing the curtain down.
“I think as a sportsman, we do have an end-date to our careers. So, I am just working backward. I don’t want to finish my career thinking ‘Oh, what if I have done this on that particular day’ because I can’t keep going on and on forever. So, it’s just about not leaving any undone business behind and not having any regrets later, which I am sure I won’t,” Kohli said.
“Once I am done, I will be gone, you won’t see me for a while. So, I want to give it everything I have till the time I play, and that’s the only thing that keeps me going,” he added.
The 35-year-old has been India’s finest player over the last decade. After making his international debut in 2008 in an ODI match against Sri Lanka at Dambulla, Kohli has featured in 113 Tests, 292 ODIs, and 117 T20Is.
The prolific right-hander has accumulated 26,733 international runs across formats, which included 80 centuries. His tally of tons is only fewer than Sachin Tendulkar, who holds the record for the most international centuries (100).
Kohli has also been in great form in the ongoing IPL as he is the highest run-scorer with 661 runs in 13 innings at 66.10.
Kohli will also be a part of India’s squad which will participate in next month’s ICC T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies.
India will start their World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York, followed by the match against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue. India will then take the field against USA and Canada on June 12 and 15 respectively.
- Virat Kohli