Virat Kohli has finally broken his silence ahead of India’s ODI opener against Australia in Perth, addressing the ongoing chatter surrounding his form and fitness.
The 36-year-old, who has not played any competitive cricket since June, looked upbeat and confident as he spoke about his preparation and mindset going into the series.
Add The Sporting News as a preferred news source
After months away from the spotlight, Kohli’s comments come as a relief to fans who had begun to wonder whether the veteran batter was slowing down. He said that he is as fit as ever before the first ODI.
How did Virat Kohli respond to retirement rumours?
Over the past few months, questions about Kohli’s future had taken over Indian cricket discussions. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s recent statement about both Kohli and Rohit being “non-committal” for the 2027 ODI World Cup only added fuel to the fire.
But Kohli brushed aside the noise with his trademark composure. He said that physically and mentally, he feels in great shape and is focused on performing for India.
"I'm feeling as fit, if not fitter than ever before. You can just feel the freshness. When you know you can play the game and mentally you know what to do out there, it's just the physical fitness that needs to be taken care of," Kohli said.
The veteran batter also added that his reflexes and awareness remain sharp, and that he has been training well in the nets leading up to the series.
"At this stage, I know that if my reflexes are there, then because my game awareness is already there. My body has to match up with it. That's something I try to make up for, I live life like that. No issues at all, I'm feeling fresh here coming into Australia, and I've been moving well in the nets as well. All good so far," he added.
MORE: How much did Virat Kohli score today in India vs Australia 1st ODI 2025 match?
Why did Virat Kohli take such a long break from Cricket?
Kohli’s seven-month absence from international cricket and four months from any form of cricket, raised plenty of eyebrows.
But the Indian legend revealed that it was a conscious decision to give himself time to recharge after playing non-stop for over 15 years.
"The amount of cricket I've played over the last 15 years, I've not rested at all, if it makes sense. I've probably played the most number of games in international cricket in the last 15 years, combined with the IPL as well. For me it was a very refreshing time off," Kohli said.
Kohli’s schedule has been relentless over the years, between international commitments and the IPL and this rare break seems to have helped him reset before another long season.
RELATED LINKS:
- What did Virat Kohli say about playing the 2027 World Cup
- India's white-ball tour of Australia: Schedule, Fixtures, Dates, Venues & Squads for Australia vs India ODI and T20I series in 2025
- Australia vs India 1st ODI prediction, expected lineups, betting tips, best odds and live scorecard
- 'Brings Spartan energy' - Varun Chakravarthy reveals advice he got from Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma
- All the latest cricket news
- All betting tips and predictions