Faf du Plessis portrays his real intentions for Virat Kohli after being released by RCB

Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has come out in support of Virat Kohli following his underwhelming performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia. Faf du Plessis said that Virat Kohli has earned the right to determine his future in cricket, given his impressive past performances.

Faf du Plessis, who has spent years playing alongside and against Virat Kohli, understands his mindset well. Kohli and du Plessis played together for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The duo also spent many years as rivals on the field in international cricket and the IPL.

Virat Kohli Has Gone Through It All Before - Faf du Plessis

Amid calls for Virat Kohli to retire from Test cricket due to his recent performances, Faf du Plessis said that retirement is a personal decision. He pointed out that no one can dictate when a player should retire. Du Plessis said that Kohli would know when the time was right for him to decide.

"It's different for every player. Every player needs to answer that question himself. I remember when that time was for me, I remember for me, I didn't have the same hunger and drive for Test cricket any more, and I felt at that stage it was definitely a good time to let new guys come in and also step into the T20 role," Faf said.

"I wanted to do that when I felt I was still at the top of my game. That's very personal. No one can speak to you when that time is; as a player, you just know. I know someone like him; he is super motivated. He has gone through it all before, so he will know exactly what to do," he added.

Faf du Plessis announced his retirement from Test cricket in February 2021 at the age of 36. The right-handed batter played 69 matches for South Africa, scoring 4163 runs at an average of 40.03, including 10 centuries. Du Plessis chose to step away from Test cricket to focus solely on T20 internationals.

Virat Kohli Struggled During Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Virat Kohli had a disappointing performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He scored 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75, including one century. Over the past five years, the right-handed batter has a batting average of 30.72 in Tests.

The 36-year-old batter maintained an average above 50 in Tests until the end of 2019. He was dismissed caught behind in eight consecutive innings. His next challenge will be India’s five-match Test series against England in June.

It Doesn't Feel Hard to Motivate Myself - Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis shows no intention of slowing down and is committed to continuing as long as his motivation and performance remain high. He stated that his drive and hunger for the game are as strong as when he debuted for South Africa.

"For me, sitting at the moment, it doesn't feel like it's hard to motivate myself. I am up for another run, I think. As long as the drive is there, and you still perform at the top of your own game. I still certainly feel like that's exactly the same as when I played international cricket for the first time for South Africa."

"It comes from the mind; that's where it starts. I'm still hungry, I'm still strong. The rest follows. Then obviously, you've got to do the hard work – making sure that you are as fit as you can be. When you get older, you need to make sure you put in the work. Do all that you need to do on the field. So yeah, I think the drive is there," he said.

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