'Test cricket is tough, Do I want to do this again?': Virat Kohli's old interview goes viral amid retirement buzz

There is widespread speculation that India's star batsman, Virat Kohli, may soon announce his retirement from Test cricket. However, a recently resurfaced interview has been circulating on social media in which Kohli openly discusses the immense challenges of playing in the longest format of the game.

A video posted by Star Sports Cricket on its official account features Kohli acknowledging the demanding nature of Test cricket. In the video, Kohli can be heard stating, “You need to be honest with yourself. I mean, you know, test cricket is tough. I mean, even when you're one of the top teams in the world, or probably the best test team in the world over the last few years. You can still go into a space where you probably don't want it at certain stages. You feel like five days. Do I want to do this again?”

“So you need to be honest with yourself. Are you ready for the hard grind? Are you ready to wake up on day three when things are stacked against you, when you know that you are in trouble as a batting unit? Are you going out there to get that 100 or get that 150 for your team? You know it's gonna be tough. You probably have to do it for five or six hours over two days. Are you strong enough to do that?” he said.

What Test cricket means to Virat Kohli  pic.twitter.com/Db1NYletyK

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 10, 2025

During the interview, Kohli expressed that if he were to announce his retirement from the sport the following day, he would do so without any regrets. He emphasized that his contributions to the Indian team have always been selflessly focused on the team's success.

Furthermore, Kohli discussed his belief in passing the torch to the younger generation of Indian cricketers, entrusting them with the future of Indian cricket.

“The reason why I reach out to these guys is because I don't want them to waste probably months and years of my life that I wasted as a youngster still trying to figure things out when I found out the formula for success and what it means to compete at this level. I want these guys to pick it up early, so that the transition with Indian cricket can be smooth.”

It is important to mention that there have been reports indicating that Kohli has informed the BCCI of his intention to retire from Test cricket. However, the BCCI has requested him to reconsider his decision. These speculations about Kohli's retirement have surfaced following Rohit Sharma's recent announcement of his retirement from the longest format of the game.

Also read| BCCI to announce India's new Test captain and vice captain for England Tests on THIS date, keeps silence on Virat Kohli's retirement