Virat Kohli starts career-revival journey, slaps Gautam Gambhir, Ajit Agarkar

Veteran Team India batter Virat Kohli and his wife, Anushka Sharma, were recently spotted enjoying a relaxed walk through the streets of London, UK. The former India captain, who has retired from Tests and T20Is, is expected to be back on the field in October for India’s white-ball tour of Australia.

There have been speculations about Kohli’s future with the national cricket team. Reports have suggested that the 36-year-old batter might retire from international cricket soon. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may begin the transition in ODI as well ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Virat Kohli Spotted Training Amid Speculation Over International Retirement

However, Virat Kohli has started training in London. He was recently seen putting in a two-hour session in the indoor nets at Lord’s, focusing on both pace and spin bowling.

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The right-handed batter impressed with the intensity and seriousness of his practice. Some of his preparation was overseen by Naeem Amin, assistant coach of the Gujarat Titans (GT), and Kohli shared glimpses of it on his Instagram.

It is still unclear whether Kohli or Rohit Sharma will play in warm-up matches against Australia A before India’s white-ball tour in October-November. However, Kohli has already started gearing up for the challenging pitches he will face in Australia.

Virat Kohli Last Featured in Competitive Cricket During IPL 2025

Following the three-match ODI series in Australia, India will play a three-match home series against South Africa in December. The Men in Blue are also scheduled to face New Zealand twice (January and October 2026), Afghanistan in June, England in July, and the West Indies in September.

Virat Kohli still has a chance to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most ODI runs. He recently crossed the 14,000-run mark and is about 4,000 runs short of Tendulkar. Kohli has accumulated 14,181 runs in 302 ODIs at an impressive average of 57.88, including 51 centuries.

Kohli last played a competitive match during IPL 2025. The ace batter played a key role as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured the championship, ending an 18-year title drought.

Virat Kohli Excluded from India Squad for Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025

Virat Kohli retired from red-ball cricket after an illustrious Test career. He played 123 matches and scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. The Delhi-born cricketer is India’s most successful Test captain, with 40 wins in 68 matches.

Kohli is also India’s second-highest run-scorer across all formats. He has accumulated 27,599 runs in 550 matches at an average of 52.27, including 82 centuries and 143 fifties. He trails only Sachin Tendulkar, who has scored 34,357 runs in 664 matches at an average of 48.52, including 100 centuries.

Despite ongoing speculation about his international future, Kohli remains focused on cricket, balancing family life, fitness, and preparation.

Also read: BCCI to show door to 2 selectors from Ajit Agarkar’s committee after Asia Cup squad selection