Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has reacted to Virat Kohli‘s recent remarks regarding his abrupt retirement from Test cricket. Amid the ongoing IPL 2026, Kohli made a blunt admission that he chose to walk away from the longest format after the tour of Australia, specifically citing an environment where he felt he was constantly being told to prove his worth after every single game. Kohli made the explosive remarks during a candid chat with sports presenter Mayanti Langer on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru podcast.
Reacting to Kohli’s comments, Ashwin, who retired from international cricket midway through India’s tour of Australia in late 2024, strongly backed his former teammate.
The legendary off-spinner also highlighted the immense mental toughness required to handle incessant scrutiny, especially for veteran players who have consistently delivered at the highest
“Virat said, ‘I don’t have to prove my work to anyone,’ and that’s absolutely right. Why, man? I also felt the same. There was nothing left to prove. Who does he need to prove himself to after playing for so many years and winning so many matches for India?” Ashwin said on his Youtube channel.
“What people say from the outside is just their job. When you are young, there is often a strong urge to say, ‘I will prove you wrong.’ But maturity and wisdom come when you realize that the battle is not with anyone else, but with yourself. The moment you have that realization, life becomes very easy. I think Virat has reached that point. It is not easy to leave regrets behind,” he added.
Kohli also reacted to the relentless speculation surrounding his participation in the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.
“Either tell me on day one I am not good enough or I am not needed. But if I am made to feel like I need to constantly prove my worth and my value, then I am not in that space,” were Kohli’s comments in the podcast, as he made it clear that he is in no mood to prove himself again, especially at this stage of his career. If pushed, he hinted at moving on from “this space”.
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