'The King has begun to lay down his sword…': Virat Kohli's white beard look sparks ODI retirement speculation

Sports Tak

Sports Tak

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'The King has begun to lay down his sword…': Virat Kohli's white beard look sparks ODI retirement speculation
Virat Kohli

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Virat Kohli announced Test retirement on May 12.

Virat Kohli's last international outing came in Champions Trophy 2025.

Virat Kohli has sparked concern among fans after a new picture of the batting maestro emerged on social media on Friday. Kohli, who surprised fans by announcing retirement from the Tests, the format he used to love most, was clicked with a guy called Shash Patel in London. 

Kohli’s grey beard stole all the attention as his latest photo went viral on social media. The visible greyness made him look noticeably different, almost unrecognisable to some and served as a stark reminder to fans that he is now 36, soon turning 37. The image comes less than a month after his last public appearance at an event hosted by Yuvraj Singh on July 10. Kohli’s transformed look has left fans both shocked and concerned. 

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Batting legend Virat Kohli also addressed his decision to retire from Test cricket during the event. While he didn’t go into much detail, he did say, "I just coloured my beard two days ago. You know it's time when you are colouring your beard every four days." The remark quickly became meme material, with many fans speculating that Kohli was using humour to mask the real reason behind his retirement. Still, the visible greys in his beard suggest he was making a genuine point.

Soon after Kohli's latest picture, fans started speculating that the batting great will soon announce his retirement from ODIs. 

Kohli has already announced retirement from T20Is and Tests, and he was expected to return to action this month, but the postponement of India's tour of Bangladesh delayed his comeback even further. The batting great is now expected to be back playing for India in October, when the Indian team travels to Australia for a limited-overs tour, featuring three ODIs and five T20Is. Kohli's last international outing came in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 where unbeaten India defeated New Zealand in the final to win the tournament.