Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers made a bold statement about Virat Kohli’s retirement from ODI. He said that if India win the ICC World Cup 2023 then it won’t be a bad time for the premier batter to call time on his career.
Virat Kohli arguably is one of the finest batters to have played the game of cricket. For more than one decade he has been the backbone of the Indian cricket team. However, with him being part of the team for around 15 years, it’s fair to say that he’s at the fag end of his career.
There have been a lot of talks that the ICC World Cup 2023 might be the last World Cup that Virat Kohli plays. However, with the kind of fitness he possesses, one cannot write him off, and if he wishes he can play even till the 40s as such has been his caliber.
AB de Villiers stressed that after the ICC World Cup 2023, Virat Kohli might retire from ODIs and T20Is to prolong his Test career. He also added that BCCI resting him from time to time is a great move. Speaking in a video posted on his YouTube channel, he explained:
“I know he loves travelling to South Africa, but it’s very difficult to say. It is a long time away. Let’s focus on this one first, I think that’s what Virat Kohli would tell you. I think if they win this World Cup, it might not be a bad time to say, ‘Thank you very much.
“I am maybe just going to play Test cricket for the next few years and a little bit of IPL, enjoy the last bit of my career, have enough family time, and say goodbye to everyone. But he is in incredible shape and is mentally still there. He has been rested from time to time, which I think is a great move. So, I think the hunger and the fire will still be there.”
The next ICC World Cup will be played in 2027 in South Africa. It remains to be seen if we see Virat Kohli playing that or not. The spotlight will be on him in this event and he will be vital to India’s chances. It’s safe to say his form will determine the team’s success in the event.
That is not his main drive – AB de Villiers On Virat Kohli breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record
AB De Villiers was also asked by a fan if Virat Kohli would be able to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of scoring a hundred centuries in international cricket. Replying to this, he said that he surely won’t focus as he’s a team guy.
He added that Virat Kohli enjoys winning more than individual milestones. He highlighted how passionate India batter is when he’s fielding. He elaborated:
“I don’t think that is his focus. That is not his main drive. He has never been all about myself kind of a guy. He wants to win World Cups for his team and be part of a successful unit in all formats of the game.
“He is a team player, and that’s what you see on the field (with) all those emotions coming out. Especially when he is fielding, there is nothing really to gain for him, but you could see that emotion, which tells you how much it means to him to win.”
Virat Kohli was rested for the first two ODIs against Australia. He will be next seen in action in the third ODI, which will be played on 27th September. The Indian batter is two centuries behind Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI tons. Overall, his century tally currently stands at 77.
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