Former Team India head coach and Australian legend Greg Chapel made massive claims about Virat Kohli’s retirement ahead of the highly anticipated Test series against England. Chapel said Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket was due to mental fatigue rather than a decline in skills.
Virat Kohli surprised fans and experts alike by announcing his retirement from Test cricket via Instagram last month. The 36-year-old batter has struggled with form in the long format these days, managing an average of 22.47 in his final 10 Tests, with only half a century of two in 19 innings.
Virat Kohli’s decision wasn’t born out of a decline in skills – Greg Chappell
In his ESPN CRICINFO column, Greg Chappell said that Virat Kohli was no longer as clear and decisive as before, and influenced his decision-making, footwork and natural instincts on the field. He noted that a player’s form relies more on mental strength than mere physical techniques.
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“His decisions didn’t come from a decline in skills, but from a growing awareness that he could no longer summon the mental clarity that once made him very formidable. He accepted it at the highest level, unless his mind was sharp and decisive,” Chapel said.
“When doubt begins to settle into the bone, it disrupts decision-making, undermines footwork, and erodes the spontaneity essential to elite performance. Kohli’s retirement reminds us that form is more of a function of the mind than a mechanic,” he added.
Virat Kohli has finished his test career as India’s fourth-highest Runscorer
In early 2020, Kohli’s performance in Test cricket fell significantly, with only three centuries in his last 39 matches. He is India’s fourth-highest Test lanseller, earning 9,230 runs in 123 games, including the 30th century.
The 36-year-old played his final Test match at the Border and Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia, where India lost 1-3. Kohli started that series strongly in a century with Perth, but struggled afterwards, scoring only 190 runs in nine innings.
Most of his firing had framed the ball outside the stump. Without that century, the overall numbers for his series would have looked even worse. Kohli also competed with the railway against Delhi in accordance with the BCCI directive.
Virat Kohli won the Maiden IPL title at RCB in 2025
Virat Kohli finally secured his first IPL title against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2025 season, and has now finished a long wait since joining the franchise in 2008.
In IPL 2025, Kohli scored 657 runs in the eight-man half-century, playing a key role in RCB’s Maiden Championship victory. He contributed to the final against the Punjab Kings (PBK) and won 43 important runs from 35 balls.
Kohli has held the record as the IPL’s highest running device, earning 8,661 runs in 267 matches, including the 8th century and the 1964s. He retired from T20 Internationals and now focuses solely on playing for Indian ODI.
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