Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has publicly backed Virat Kohli's decision to retire from Test cricket, saying he experienced the same sense of finality himself — and that the pressure to constantly justify one's place becomes unsustainable at the elite level. Ashwin made the remarks on his YouTube channel on 17 May, responding to Kohli's candid reflections on the RCB podcast.

What Kohli Said

Kohli, speaking on the RCB podcast, offered a rare and unfiltered account of the mental fatigue that shaped his retirement from the longest format following India's tour of Australia. The former India captain said the relentless expectation to justify his place after every match had become untenable.

'Either tell me on day one I am not good enough or I am not needed. But if I am made to feel like I need to constantly prove my worth and my value, then I am not in that space,' Kohli said during the podcast.

Ashwin's Response

'Virat said, ‘I don’t have to prove my work to anyone,’ and that’s absolutely right. Why, man? I also felt the same. There was nothing left to prove. Whom does he need to prove himself to after playing for so many years and winning so many matches for India?' Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin, who himself stepped away from international cricket midway through India's 2024 Australia tour, said he understood Kohli's mindset completely. The veteran spinner spoke at length about the emotional and psychological weight that senior players carry after years of performing under unrelenting public scrutiny.

On Maturity and the Inner Battle

'What people say from the outside is just their job. When you are young, there is often a strong urge to say, “I will prove you wrong.” But maturity and wisdom come when you realise that the battle is not with anyone else, but with yourself. The moment you have that realisation, life becomes very easy. I think Virat has reached that point. It is not easy to leave regrets behind,' Ashwin added.

The remarks reflect a broader pattern among India's senior cricketers — several of whom have spoken in recent years about the psychological cost of elite sport and the difficulty of exiting on one's own terms. Notably, both Ashwin and Kohli departed from Test cricket without completing full series, underlining how abrupt the mental tipping point can be.

The 2027 World Cup Question

Kohli also addressed speculation about his potential participation in the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup, making clear that he no longer feels compelled to chase external approval or silence critics at this stage of his career. No definitive announcement on his ODI future was made during the podcast, and the question remains open.

With two of India's most decorated Test cricketers now retired from the format, the conversation around athlete mental health and the pressures of elite performance is likely to intensify ahead of the next Test cycle.