Virat Kohli Retired Early from T20Is, Says Raina

Published on April 25, 2025

Suresh Raina Says Virat Kohli Retired Too Early from T20Is, Believes He Could’ve Played Till 2026

Former India cricketer Suresh Raina believes that Virat Kohli may have called time on his T20 International (T20I) career a little too soon. According to Raina, Kohli, who played a pivotal role in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup victory, still had the form and fitness to compete at the highest level until at least the 2026 T20 World Cup, which is set to be hosted in the subcontinent.

Raina’s comments came after Kohli lit up the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru with a vintage knock of 70 off 42 balls for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against the Rajasthan Royals. The performance was yet another reminder of the 35-year-old’s enduring class and ability to dominate even on tricky surfaces.

“I still think that Virat Kohli retired early from T20I cricket. He could have played until 2026, based on the rhythm with which he is playing right now, and the rhythm during the 2025 Champions Trophy as well. The way he has maintained his fitness, he looks like he is at his peak still,” Raina said on Star Sports.

Kohli ended his T20I career on the highest of highs, guiding India to their second T20 World Cup title in Barbados last year. He was named Player of the Match in the final for his crucial knock, capping off a legacy that makes him one of the format’s all-time greats.

In his 125-match T20I career, Kohli scored 4,188 runs at an average of 48.69, with a strike rate of over 137. His record includes one century, 38 half-centuries, and countless match-winning performances. He remains the leading run-scorer in T20 World Cup history, with 1,292 runs across six editions. Kohli also holds the record for the most runs in a single edition (319 in 2014) and most 50-plus scores (15) in T20 World Cup history.

As India prepares to defend its title next year with a more youthful core, the absence of veterans like Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja will undoubtedly be felt—on and off the field.

Despite retiring from international T20s, Kohli continues to shine in the IPL 2025 season. His latest innings saw him climb from eighth to second in the Orange Cap standings, now boasting 392 runs in nine matches, including five half-centuries. He currently trails only Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudharsan, who has 417 runs in eight games.

In another historic feat, Kohli recently became the first player in IPL history to score over 3,500 runs at a single venue, accomplishing the milestone at his beloved Chinnaswamy Stadium—further cementing his legendary status in the game.

Whether or not Kohli’s retirement from T20Is was premature is a debate that may continue, but one thing is certain: his influence on the format, both for India and in the IPL, remains as strong as ever.