India’s star batsman Virat Kohli stunned cricket fans worldwide by announcing his retirement from Test cricket just before the five-match Test series against England began.

Kohli faced a challenging phase during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, drawing criticism from fans and experts over his form. However, former South African batsman Daryll Cullinan said Kohli’s decision didn’t come as a surprise, noting the difficulties Kohli had been experiencing in red-ball cricket. “His retirement wasn’t unexpected to me. Recently, he struggled with Test cricket. For any batsman or athlete, constantly working on your game, maintaining fitness, and managing mental pressure can be exhausting. Eventually, you reach a point where you no longer want to put in that effort to break out of a slump or regain form,” Cullinan told Hindustan Times.

He added, “Whether it’s due to injury or a prolonged poor run, that’s often what leads to retirement.”

Despite an outstanding Test career, Kohli’s performance declined in the latter years, with deliveries outside the off stump becoming a frequent challenge.

Cullinan further explained, “Kohli has a full life beyond cricket now, focusing on white-ball formats, and probably felt it was the right time to step away, with family and other priorities in mind. Also, the upcoming England series would have been tough, given his past struggles with pace and movement there. He would have needed significant preparation to perform well. Considering all this, I believe he decided this was the appropriate moment to retire.”