Virat Kohli surprised the cricketing world when he announced his retirement from Test cricket via an Instagram post. The renowned cricketer was scheduled to play in a high-voltage five-match Test series against England, but his unexpected retirement has forced the selectors to hunt for a suitable successor. However, a player with Kohli’s stature cannot be replaced overnight.
While fans are still coming to grips with Kohli’s historic move, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik believes the former India captain is in his happiest place right now. The former Indian cricketer stated that Kohli wishes to spend more time with his family now that he would only play in the 50-over format and the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“The outside world was taken aback, so we were just keeping an eye on what Virat Kohli was doing.
He is at his happiest right now; he enjoys the sport and truly wants to spend more time with his family,” Karthik stated ahead of RCB’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Friday, May 23.
“It is a personal decision, which we respect. We, like everyone else, were caught aback: ‘Oh, this is happening.’ But the truth is, it’s wonderful to see him cheerful and eager to play anytime we want him to. “The key is to keep him upbeat,” he explained.
RCB goes down battling against SRH.
RCB wasted an opportunity to ascend to the top of the IPL 2025 points table by losing to SRH on Friday. The Orange Army batted first and reached a magnificent 231/5, thanks to Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 94 from 48 deliveries.
In the second innings, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli combined for 80 runs in seven overs. However, he was removed for 25 off 43 balls. Salt, on the other hand, scored 62 from 32 balls. RCB remained in the chase until the 15th over, but a five-ball stretch in which they lost three wickets destroyed their chances of a shock victory. The Pat Cummins-led side triumphed by 42 runs, with the skipper taking three wickets for 28 runs in his four-over stint.
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