Kohli Breaks Silence On Test Retirement For First Time, Says "When You..."

For the first time since breaking the hearts of crores of Indians with his announcement of Test retirement, Virat Kohli has spoken of the topic in public. In a charity event for former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh's foundation, YouWeCan, Kohli rubbed shoulders with some of the greats of the game, including his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammate Chris Gayle. The entire cricket team, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, was in attendance at the event. The gathering also included stalwarts like Ravi Shastri, Sachin Tendulkar, Kevin Pietersen, Brian Lara, and Ashish Nehra.

As the host Gaurav Kapoor invited Virat Kohli on the stage, he somehow managed to draw a reaction on Test retirement from the India great. Gaurav said that everyone misses Virat a lot on the field, this is when the India great broke his silence.

"I just coloured my beard two days ago. You know it's time when you are colouring your beard every four days," said Kohli, in response.

The bond that Kohli and his former head coach Ravi Shastri share isn't hidden from anyone. On the occasion, Kohli once again thanked Shastri for the way he shielded him during the early days, helping him become the cricketer he went on to be.

"Honestly, if I wasn't working with him... what happened in Test cricket wouldn't have been possible. The clarity which we had together is very hard to find. It's everything for cricketers to grow in their careers. Even he hadn't backed me the way he did... those press conferences where he took the bullets from the front line. Things would have been different and I always have respect and regard for him, for being a massive part of my cricketing journey," Kohli said.

Virat also recalled his early days in the Indian team when he shared the dressing room with the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, etc.

"We shared a very good bond both on and off the field. I met him for the first time during a North Zone tournament in Bangalore. When I started playing for India, him, bhajju pa and Zaheer Khan took me under their wings. Really helped me grow as a player, made me comfortable in the dressing room. Lot of fun times off the field and made me aware of the lifestyle of getting to the top. These are the bonds I would cherish for the rest of my life. Watching him in the World Cup was very special and what we got to know after that was a shock. Being so close to him... we had no idea. Then his battle with cancer and again the champion that he is... coming on top and making a comeback to the team when I was leading the team.

Kohli also recalled the 2017 series where Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni both scored centuries after the Indian top-order got out early.

"I clearly remember we played a game against England in Cuttack. There was a 2017 series we played at home and top-order got out early and Yuvi pa got 150 I think and MS scored 110 or something. I still remember telling KL or someone that this is like childhood days watching on big tv... I have a lot of love and respect for him. It's a pleasure being here and I won't do it for any other person but him," he reminisced.

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