I was catching up on life: Virat Kohli opens up on long absence from international cricket
India star batter Virat Kohli, who returned to international cricket after more than seven months in the ODI series opener against Australia in Perth, said he enjoyed some much-needed time with his family after retiring from Tests and T20Is.
“It’s been a long time off for me since I retired from Test cricket. I was catching up on life. I haven’t been able to do anything, I don’t know for how many years, just been able to spend some quality time with kids, with family at home. It’s been a beautiful phase and something that I really enjoyed.
“To be honest, the amount of cricket I have played over the last 15-20 years, I have actually not rested at all. I have probably played the most number of games in international cricket, combining the IPL together. So, for me, it was a very refreshing time off,” Kohli told Fox Cricket ahead of the first ODI on Sunday.
Kohli’s last competitive outing before the ODI series against Australia was the Indian Premier League (IPL) final in June, which his team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won by defeating Punjab Kings by six runs.
Ahead of the ODIs against the Aussies, which could be his last series down under, Kohli said he had prepared well for the test.
“I am feeling as fit, if not fitter than I have ever been before, and you can feel the freshness when you can play the game, and mentally you know what to do out there. It’s just the physical preparation that really needs to be taken care of. At this stage I realised if my body is fit and my reflexes are there,” he explained.
Published on Oct 19, 2025
