'Was taken purely...': Virat Kohli reveals reason behind his T20I retirement after World Cup victory

Virat Kohli recently shared his reasoning behind his decision to step away from the T20I format following India's World Cup victory last year. Kohli's exceptional performance in the final against South Africa, where he scored a match-winning 76 off 59 balls, played a crucial role in India's 7-run victory.

In a recent episode of the RCB podcast, Kohli, alongside Rohit Sharma, discussed their retirement from the T20I format. Kohli explained that he made the decision to step aside in order to make way for a new generation of players to experience the 2-year cycle leading up to the World Cup. This move was made with the intention of allowing fresh talent to flourish and contribute to the team's success in the future.

“I do not think things have changed for me in any way. The decision (to leave T20Is) was taken purely understanding that there is a new set of players who are more than ready and they need time, they need a 2-year cycle to evolve, handle pressure, play in different parts of the world, and play enough games to the point where when the World Cup comes, they feel like they are ready,” said Kohli.

Virat Kohli has played a total of 125 T20I games for India, amassing an impressive 4188 runs at an average of 48.69.

The anticipation for an IPL title for Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has spanned 18 years. When asked if he ever considered leaving the franchise, Kohli expressed that the unwavering support from fans outweighed any desire for silverware or trophies.

In the current IPL 2025 season, RCB has shown remarkable performance, winning seven out of 10 matches and inching closer to securing a spot in the playoffs. Kohli himself has contributed significantly to the team's success, scoring 443 runs thus far.

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