India star Virat Kohli has brushed aside any speculations over his retirement from international cricket. Kohli has stated that he isn't going anywhere till he has 'pure joy, enjoyment, competitive streak, and love for the game'.
Kohli spoke about his future plans and revealed a discussion with former head coach Rahul Dravid on the timing of retirement. He first recalled his struggles in Australia. I might not have another Australia tour in me, so I am at peace with whatever happened in the past," Kohli said during RCB's innovation lab.
He clarified his statement soon and said that retirement is not on his mind currently. Don’t get nervous. I’m not making any announcements. As of now, everything is fine. I still love playing the game," Kohli said with a smile.
"It pretty much comes down to just the pure joy, enjoyment, competitive streak, and love for the game. And as long as that is there, I will continue to play. As I said today, I am not playing for any achievement," the 36-year-old added.
Kohli also recalled a conversation with Dravid on timing his retirement. "The competitive streak doesn’t allow you to find the answer [for retirement]. I had a very interesting conversation with Rahul Dravid. He said you always have to stay in touch with yourself. Figure out where you are placed in your life, and the answer is not that easy," Kohli said.
Kohli knows he is in the last stage of his career, and it takes more effort doing things now. "Now, it takes much more effort as people who have played the game for a long period of time understand. You can’t do so many things in your mid-to-late 30s that you can in your mid-20s. I’m at a bit of a different place in my life as well.
"You have to make peace with whatever’s happened in your life. Like in 2014 [against England], I still had the chance to go in 2018 and do what I did. It might not have been the case this time," Kohli said.