Virat Kohli Breaks Silence On Decision To Spend Last Few Months In UK

One of the greats of the game, Virat Kohli, made a much-anticipated return to Indian cricket as he lined up to take on Australia in the first ODI of the three-match series on Sunday. Ahead of the toss at Perth on Sunday, Kohli sat down with former India head coach Ravi Shastri and Australia great Adam Gilchrist for a candid chat that included talks over his retirement from two formats, family time in the United Kingdom, and the plan going forward.

During the chat, Kohli was asked about the last four-to-five-month period, most of which he spent in the United Kingdom with his wife, Anushka Sharma, and the kids. After the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in May, Kohli flew straight to the UK and returned to India only before his flight to Australia.

"Yeah, as I was just saying, just catching up on life. 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. I am feeling fresh, looking fresh and fit - moving well in nets and fielding sessions," Kohli said ahead of the start of the match.

"I played the most number of games in international cricket over the last fifteen years," Kohli further explained, as he justified the decision to take retirement from two formats -- Tests and T20Is.

Kohli was also asked about the opponents, Australia, against whom he usually does very well. The star batter said that he became passionate about performing well Down Under after seeing icons like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Virender Sehwag perform in the challenging Australian conditions when he started following the game.

"Well, you know, growing up watching cricket as a kid, you know, when we used to wake up early in the morning and watch daylight cricket in Australia, you'd see the ball flying off the pitch and, you know, the opposition in your face. And I used to feel like, wow, if I'd be able to step up in these conditions and against this opposition, that'd be something that I could be really proud of as a cricketer."

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