Virat Kohli Retired Early from T20Is: Suresh Raina
Dubela, Amritangshu Paul: Former India cricketer Suresh Raina feels that Virat Kohli retired too early from T20 Internationals. He believes Kohli could have played until the 2026 T20 World Cup, which is set to be held in the subcontinent. Raina shared his thoughts after Kohli produced a vintage knock of 70 off 42 balls against Rajasthan Royals at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.
Raina said that Kohli still has plenty left in the tank and could have continued to be a key player for India. Kohli ended his T20I career on a high, helping India win the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados. “I think Virat retired early from T20I cricket. He could have played till 2026, based on the rhythm with which he is playing now, and also during the 2025 Champions Trophy. The way he has maintained his fitness, he still looks at his peak,” Raina said on Star Sports.
Kohli signed off from T20Is after playing 125 matches, scoring 4,188 runs at an average of 48.69. His career includes one century, 38 half-centuries, and several crucial knocks that shaped India’s T20 journey over the years. The 35-year-old holds several records in T20 World Cup history, including the most runs (1,292), the most runs in a single edition (319 in 2014), and the most 50-plus scores (15). He represented India in six T20 World Cups. As India prepares to defend their T20 World Cup title next year with a younger squad, the absence of icons like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja will be deeply felt.
In IPL 2025, Kohli, opening for RCB, scored a classy 70 against Rajasthan Royals, moving from eighth to second in the Orange Cap race with 392 runs and five fifties in nine matches. Only Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudharsan, with 417 runs in eight games, is ahead of him. Adding to his long list of records, Kohli also became the first player in IPL history to score over 3,500 runs at a single venue—the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium—further cementing his legendary status in the league.
