The retirement of iconic cricketers is always a highly speculated topic. With Virat Kohli’s future uncertain after Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) won their 2025 IPL title, many fans seem to be wondering if he might take a similar path to MS Dhoni. While there have been no official announcements from Kohli, his recent remarks and actions have prompted a whole discussion about his intentions behind potentially retiring. Will Virat Kohli Follow MS Dhoni? Retirement Plan Prediction.
At 36 years of age, Kohli is still one of the most fit cricketers around the world. His batting in IPL 2025 was exceptional and he led the RCB to their first IPL title. Unlike Dhoni, who has been managing pain, injuries, and workload, Kohli shows no signs of some gradual completion of his career.
Key Factors in Favor of Further Playing
Being the fittest he has ever been and working on a strict exercise and fitness regime
Having enough energy to ensure consistent batting performances across formats
Maintaining leadership presence in RCB and Team India
MS Dhoni’s Approach to Retirement
Dhoni’s retirement has generally been strategic. He exited international cricket in 2020 and has now left his fans in doubt about his IPL plans, but that was also the general approach he would take, knowing when to retire but being gradual in that process to leave younger players entering the team.
How did Dhoni approach retirement?
He retired from Tests in December 2014 to focus on limited-overs cricket.
He stepped away from international cricket in 2020 and never played a farewell match.
He was active in the IPL but wasn’t final with his retirement plans until after IPL 2025 (hinting at retirement).
And then there’s Kohli: he is constantly vocal about his love for the game. He went down the road of stepping away from captaincy but has never indicated that he is ready to retire.
While Kohli is unlikely to retire anytime soon, some experts think that ultimately Kohli will begin to lighten his load over the next several years.
Possible Retirement Plans:
– Stepping away from T20Is after 2026 T20 World Cup and carrying on focusing primarily on ODIs and Test cricket.
– Stepping away from ODIs after the 2027 Cricket World Cup and eventually focusing primarily on Test cricket.
– Stepping away from all formats altogether by 2028 (subject to fitness and form).
Cricket analysts think Kohli will keep continuing to play for at least 3-4 more years and with his fitness and desire for runs, some fans think it would be a perfect farewell moment for him, like Dhoni’s 2011 World Cup win, for Kohli to bow out after RCB’s IPL 2025 win.
“Kohli can retire tommorow a he wants and he should retire on a high after winning IPL 2025!”
“He still has a lot to give in international cricket as well, he will not be retiring just yet.”
“Will Kohli also go quietly as Dhoni into retirement? Only time will tell.”
While MS Dhoni’s retirement plans are uncertain, Kohli’s seems much clearer at this stage – with no signs of him retiring anytime soon. But as cricket changes, he may alter or reduce his workload to ease the transition for younger players.
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