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Virat Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket has helped him focus more clearly on his ODI career, according to former India cricketer Aakash Chopra. Chopra believes Kohli no longer has to switch between the different demands of Test and ODI cricket, allowing him to approach batting with greater freedom.
The former India opener made the comments after Virat Kohli produced another outstanding performance in the first ODI against West Indies. Kohli scored an unbeaten 139 off 88 balls in Thiruvananthapuram, registering his 86th international century and helping India chase down 296 with eight wickets in hand.
Virat Kohli scores 86th century to dominate West Indies
Kohli continued his remarkable record in ODI cricket by producing another match-winning innings against West Indies. The former India captain remained unbeaten on 139 from just 88 deliveries, striking 10 fours and nine sixes as India completed the chase in 41.4 overs.
The century took Kohli's international tally to 86, leaving him second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100 centuries. Ricky Ponting is third on the list with 71 international hundreds.
Virat Kohli also strengthened his position at the top of the list for ODI centuries in the current decade. He now has 12, ahead of Shai Hope's 11 and Shubman Gill's 10.
His latest hundred also extended his record for centuries in ODI chases. Kohli now has 30 centuries while chasing in the format, with Rohit Sharma next on the list with 18.
The innings came after Shubman Gill's 110, with the India captain and Kohli putting together a huge partnership to put the hosts firmly in control of the chase.
Leaving Test cricket has just liberated him - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli
Aakash Chopra believes Virat Kohli's decision to step away from Test cricket has given him greater clarity over his role in the remaining formats. According to him, the change has allowed Kohli to focus completely on enjoying his batting in ODIs for India and T20 cricket for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
“Leaving Test cricket has just liberated him. There's a lot more clarity in mind that this is the format that I play and this is how I want to play it. Test cricket demanded something else,” Aakash Chopra said during a discussion on Cricinfo.
“And therefore, he had to always keep switching between the two formats, or rather three formats he was playing. But now it's only ODI for India. It's only T20 for RCB. He knows that I can actually go and enjoy batting. This is sheer enjoyment.”
Virat Kohli's return to his best ODI form has come after he ended his Test career earlier in 2025. He has since remained focused on India's ODI plans, with the 2027 World Cup also forming an important part of his international future.
How do you actually motivate yourself at this stage of your career - Aakash Chopra makes big claim
Aakash Chopra also pointed towards the challenge of maintaining motivation after achieving most of the major milestones available to a cricketer. He suggested that Kohli's focus now appears to be on setting new personal targets rather than relying on external motivation. Aakash Chopra stated:
“How do you actually motivate yourself at this stage of your career where you've achieved everything that there is to be achieved? You keep upping the bar for yourself that the challenge is not coming from outside.
“Can I do this? Can I go there? The uncharted territory? I've not done this. Will it excite me now? I think that's the kind of approach we see with Virat Kohli, which is, of course, refreshing.”
Also Read: Virat Kohli makes big Shubman Gill revelation after India’s 8-wicket win over West Indies
