Ravichandran Ashwin has thrown his weight behind Virat Kohli after the former India captain opened up about why he stepped away from Test cricket earlier than many expected. With IPL 2026 running in full swing, Kohli used a recent appearance on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru podcast to speak candidly, admitting that his decision to exit the longest format came after the Australia tour. He pointed to a feeling that, game after game, he was being pushed to justify his place\u2014constantly asked, directly or indirectly, to prove he still belonged.<\/p>\n
Ashwin, who himself had retired from international cricket in the middle of India\u2019s tour of Australia in late 2024, responded with strong approval for Kohli\u2019s viewpoint. The off-spinner framed Kohli\u2019s comments as a familiar mental challenge, arguing that enduring constant scrutiny demands enormous fortitude, particularly from experienced players who have already delivered at the highest level for years.<\/p>\n
On his YouTube channel, Ashwin said Kohli\u2019s stance was correct, noting that there comes a point where the need to prove oneself stops making sense. \u201cVirat said, \u2018I don\u2019t have to prove my work to anyone,\u2019 and that\u2019s absolutely right. Why, man? I also felt the same. There was nothing left to prove. Whom does he need to prove himself to after playing for so many years and winning so many matches for India?\u201d Ashwin added.<\/p>\n
The veteran spinner went further, suggesting that external criticism is often simply part of the job from the outside looking in. He explained that when players are younger, they can feel compelled to prove people wrong, but maturity changes the target of that motivation. \u201cWhat people say from the outside is just their job. When you are young, there is often a strong urge to say, \u2018I will prove you wrong.\u2019 But maturity and wisdom come when you realize that the battle is not with anyone else, but with yourself. The moment you have that realization, life becomes very easy. I think Virat has reached that point. It is not easy to leave regrets behind,\u201d Ashwin said.<\/p>\n
Kohli\u2019s podcast discussion also touched on the ongoing chatter about whether he would be involved in the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup. The batting star made it clear that he does not want to operate under a microscope again. \u201cEither tell me on day one I am not good enough or I am not needed. But if I am made to feel like I need to constantly prove my worth and my value, then I am not in that space,\u201d Kohli said, signalling that he is not looking to return to a mindset where he feels he must repeatedly validate his place, particularly at this stage of his career. He added that if the situation continues to push him in that direction, he would consider moving on from \u201cthis space.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ravichandran Ashwin has thrown his weight behind Virat Kohli after the former India captain opened up about why he stepped away from Test cricket earlier…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Ashwin Backs Kohli\u2019s Test Exit Stance, IPL 2026 News","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Ravichandran Ashwin backs Virat Kohli\u2019s early Test exit, saying he didn\u2019t need to prove himself\u2014while IPL 2026 buzz heats up.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n