“I’ve met him a few times in the UK” - Former India cricketer’s massive statement on Virat Kohli’s potential retirement U-turn

Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has made a significant statement regarding Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket. The Delhi-born batter stepped away from red-ball cricket in May this year after amassing 9,230 runs in 123 matches, including 31 fifties and 30 centuries.

On Monday, September 8, speaking at the India Today South Conclave, Karthik was asked whether Kohli should come out of retirement. The 40-year-old said that while Kohli is physically fit, his mental state is not what it was a few years ago. He added:

“I think all of us enjoy watching Virat Kohli play. There's no doubt about it. I just want him to be happy. I've met him a few times in the UK, and he seems to be in a very happy place, and if that is what is going to give him happiness, so be it. I think it's important that we need to respect and honor what his mind is doing. I think his body could still be ready, and it is ready. I can tell you that. But I don't think his mind is obviously where it was a few years ago. So, when he is able to understand and see that that is what his body and his mind are telling him to do, for most of the time, I think we need to respect that."

“Would I like Virat Kohli to play? Why not? I mean, I genuinely still, when I switched on the TV to watch in Australia, every innings I used to think he's going to get runs. There were a couple of innings where I thought, okay, maybe he's not batting as well as you would like. But most of the innings I thought, oh, okay. But when he gets out, you're like, okay, so be it. So, I think he pushed himself to a point where he gave it everything. And maybe he felt mentally that he was tired. He needed a break,” Karthik continued.

Virat Kohli last played in the IPL 2025, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched the title. He finished as the team’s leading run-scorer, amassing 657 runs in 15 innings, including eight fifties.

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“Next big thing without a doubt” - Dinesh Karthik’s massive statement on India’s Test skipper

In the same conversation, Dinesh Karthik heaped praise on India’s Test captain Shubman Gill. He lauded Gill’s performance in the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Karthik remarked:

“Shubman Gill is the next big thing without a doubt. In terms, there is no denying that. But the way this sport is unfolding, Test cricket is obviously the toughest challenge for any sportsman, but the quantity of how much that's going to be consumed could be the challenge for him. He might love Test cricket, but where is Test cricket today compared to where it will be in 10 years’ time is going to be a huge question mark. I don't think it's about Shubman Gill. I think it's about the cricketing ecosystem. People enjoy shorter formats. Their attention span is a lot lesser. So they have time to spend when it comes to shorter bursts. Where Test cricket will be is the biggest challenge.”

“Shubman Gill has everything to become a great. I mean, there is no doubt. And what this Indian team showed, at least in England, as you see, was a very interesting series, and they rated it the best-ever series after the 2005 Ashes, which says a lot about how good the series was, how well it was watched, and the fact that a young Indian team came there, stood up against a strong English team which uses the term ‘Bazball’ and said, we'll do it our way. So it was great to watch, good fun, and Shubman Gill did a fantastic job as a leader,” he added.

The Indian skipper ended the series as the leading run-scorer, amassing 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, including four centuries.