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Virat Kohli Jokes About Beard Dye as He Opens Up on Test Retirement at London Gala
By CricShots - Jul 9, 2025 11:35 am
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Two months after his shock announcement, Virat Kohli has finally opened up about his decision to retire from Test cricket. Speaking at a fundraising gala hosted by former teammate Yuvraj Singh for the YouWeCan Foundation in London on July 8, 2025, the Indian cricket legend candidly shared the reasons behind stepping away from the longest format. The event was graced by several cricketing greats, including Sachin Tendulkar, Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen, and India’s current head coach, Gautam Gambhir.

Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli

Initially seated among the audience, Virat Kohli was called on stage by host Gaurav Kapur to join a panel that included Yuvraj Singh and Ravi Shastri. When asked about retirement, Kohli said with a smile, “I just coloured my beard two days ago. You know it’s time when you’re doing that every four days.”

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Reflecting on his journey in Test cricket, he credited former coach Ravi Shastri for his evolution. “Honestly, if I wasn’t working with him, what happened in Test cricket wouldn’t have been possible. The clarity we shared was rare. Even those tough press conferences where he took all the bullets for the team—those moments defined our bond. I’ll always have immense respect for him,” Kohli added.

Kohli had officially bid farewell to red-ball cricket on May 12, 2025, via an Instagram post. Over his illustrious Test career, he played 123 matches, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and a record seven double hundreds for India. As captain, he led India to historic victories, including their first-ever Test series win in Australia in 2018–19.

 

During the same interaction, Virat Kohli also spoke about his emotional connection with Yuvraj Singh. Recalling their first meeting during a North Zone tournament in Bangalore, Kohli described how Yuvraj, along with Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan, helped him find his feet in the Indian dressing room. “They took me under their wings and made me feel comfortable. I’ll always cherish those fun off-field memories and the guidance they gave me early on,” he said.

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Speaking about Yuvraj’s resilience during the 2011 World Cup, Kohli praised his former teammate’s courage in battling cancer. “We had no idea what he was going through. To fight cancer and come back to the Indian team while I was captain—he was a warrior. I’ll never forget that knock in Cuttack during the 2017 series against England. He made 150, MS got a hundred, and I remember telling KL that it felt like watching our childhood heroes on TV.”

Kohli concluded, “It’s a pleasure being here, and I wouldn’t have done it for anyone else but Yuvi pa.”

Tags Beard ColorIndian cricketRavi ShastriTest retirementvirat kohliYuvraj Singh