Will Virat Kohli Ever Become Indian Cricket Team Coach? Ravi Shastri Gives Big 'Walk Away' Verdict

Indian cricket team star batter Virat Kohli stunned everyone as he announced his retirement from Test cricket just ahead of the series against England. Kohli, who retired from T20Is after the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, is only active in the ODIs and his next big goal will be to play the 2027 World Cup. Following the announcement, there has been a lot of discussion about Kohli's future but former India head coach Ravi Shastri does not believe that the star batter will become a coach or broadcaster after bidding farewell to his playing career. In a recent interview, Shastri said that he believes Virat will walk away once he finishes playing and is unlikely to feature in any broadcasting or coaching jobs.

"He is still around to serve Indian cricket in ODIs, but I also know that Virat will walk away from the game once he is done playing cricket. He is not the kind who would like to coach or take on the role of a broadcaster. I will miss him when India plays its first Test in England. He was a champion, and that is what I would like to remember — never conceding an inch," Shastri told Sportstar.

Shastri also believed that Virat could have played for two more years and would have loved to see him in the upcoming five-match Test series against England.

"I am sure Virat still had two years of Test cricket left in him. I would have loved to see him in England this summer. It would have been a good idea to hand him the captaincy for the tour, but he would know best why he decided to leave. Maybe mental fatigue drove him to decide because he was as fit as any other player in the team. He knew his body best, but the mind would have played the decisive role. I will not rule out burnout as the decisive factor in curtailing his career at a critical phase of Indian cricket."