Follow UsVirat Kohli might have made it to India’s ODI squad to face Australia, but speculation about retirement has been rife ever since chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s comments which claimed that both Kohli and Rohit are ‘non-committal’ about the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The fact that Kohli had played no cricket whatsoever since June, and had maintained an extremely low-key image, made many speculate that the 36-year-old had lost the ‘fire in him’, with the end being near.
However, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Ahead of the first ODI in Perth today, Kohli spoke publicly for the first time in months, and made a huge statement of intent, asserting that he currently feels fitter than he’s ever felt.
“I'm feeling as fit, if not fitter than ever before. You can just feel the freshness. When you know you can play the game and mentally you know what to do out there, it's just the physical fitness that needs to be taken care of,” Kohli said ahead of the first ODI.
“At this stage, I know that if my reflexes are there, then [it's set] because my game awareness is already there. My body has to match up with it. That's something I try to make up for, I live life like that. No issues at all, I'm feeling fresh here coming into Australia, and I've been moving well in the nets as well. All good so far."
Kohli going seven months without playing international cricket, and four months without playing any cricket, is a phenomenon that’s almost unheard of. Many felt that the long break might work against him at the age of 36, but the former India skipper asserted how this was a ‘refreshing time off’ for him as he’s been playing non-stop cricket for the past 15 years.
“The amount of cricket I've played over the last 15 years, I've not rested at all, if it makes sense. I've probably played the most number of games in international cricket in the last 15 years, combined with the IPL as well. For me it was a very refreshing time off,” Kohli said.
The long break has given Kohli the rare opportunity to spend precious time with family, and the 36-year-old spoke about how he’s really enjoyed this ‘beautiful phase’ in life.
“Yeah, I mean, look, it's been a long time off for me since I retired from Test Cricket and yeah, as I was just saying, just catching up on life,” he said.
“You know, I haven't been able to do anything for the last, I don't know how many years and yeah, just being able to spend some time, some quality time with your kids, with family at home. It's been a beautiful, beautiful phase and something that I've really enjoyed.”