Kohli dismisses retirement talks, says 'I still love playing the game'

Virat Kohli has firmly put to rest any talk of his retirement, emphasizing that he is still completely immersed in his cricket and his passion for competition is as strong as ever. Addressing the audience at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit, Kohli made it abundantly clear that he is in no hurry to step away from the game.

“Don’t get nervous. I’m not making any announcements,” Kohli said. “As of now, everything is fine. I still love playing the game.”

Kohli recently played a crucial role in India’s Champions Trophy triumph in Dubai, reigniting discussions about his longevity in international cricket. Captain Rohit Sharma, similarly, had dismissed any retirement rumors surrounding him.

The 36-year-old, who retired from T20Is last year after the World Cup triumph in the West Indies, is ready for a fresh IPL season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Having hit a fresh ODI high with the Champions Trophy win and the England Test tour approaching in the summer, he emphasised that his motivation now stems largely from the joy of playing and passion to compete.

“It’s come down to pure enjoyment. As long as I have that, I will continue to play. I’m not chasing achievements anymore.”

Kohli acknowledged that players often struggle with timing their retirement, especially those fuelled by competitive drive.

“The competitive streak doesn’t allow you to find the answer,” he said. “I had a very interesting conversation with Rahul Dravid about this. He said you always have to stay in touch with yourself. Figure out where you are placed in your life, and the answer is not that easy. You might be going through a lean phase and you feel like this is it. But it might not be. But then when it is time, my competitive streak would not allow me to accept it. Maybe one more month. Maybe six more months. So I think it’s a fine balance. At this point of time in my life I feel pretty happy.”

Kohli welcomed cricket’s re-entry in the Olympics, at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, calling it a landmark moment for the game.

“When I heard the news, I was really happy. The amount of T20 cricket played worldwide, especially through leagues like IPL, has played a massive role in getting cricket to the Olympics. It’s a great opportunity for our athletes to experience it.”

Asked about the possibility of returning to T20Is for a shot at Olympic gold, Kohli dismissed the idea — albeit with a cheeky remark.

“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,” he joked.

“To be Olympic champions would be a magnificent feeling. A first of its kind, and I’m sure we’ll be somewhere close to that.”

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