IPL 2025: Has Virat Kohli retired too early from Indian T20 team? Could have played till 2026, says Suresh Raina

At 36 years old, Virat Kohli does not seem to be slowing down in the Indian Premier League.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s talismanic batsman is in the running for the Orange Cap yet again after he scored a match-winning 70 in the team’s 11-run victory over the Rajasthan Royals in Bengaluru on Thursday.

With 392 runs to his name after 9 matches in IPL 2025, Kohli continues to show his prowess in the shortest format of the game as he goes on from strength to strength.

India T20 retirement: Too early?

Kohli’s performances this season has made former India batsman Suresh Raina to wonder if RCB’s best batsman called it quits for Team India in T20s a bit too early.

Speaking on Star Sports during the RCB vs RR match coverage, Raina said: “I still think that Virat Kohli retired early from T20I cricket. He could have played until 2026, based on the rhythm with which he is playing right now, and the rhythm during the 2025 Champions Trophy as well. The way he has maintained his fitness, he looks like he is at his peak still.” Watch here:

The aggressive batsman is known for his fitness and the 36-year-old displayed it during RCB’s match against Punjab Kings at Mullanpur.

After Devdutt Padikkal hit a delivery of Arshdeep Singh towards the mid wicket boundary, Kohli, at the non striker’s end, took off and completed four runs by sprinting between the wickets at breakneck speed.

During those sprints, Kohli ran at speeds of 29 kmph, 22 kmph, 21 kmph and turned at 4 kmph according to the broadcasters. Watch here:

Kohli the run machine

The legendary batsman retired on a high in the shortest format of the game for India after he starred in the team’s victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which was held in the Caribbean and the USA.

He starred in the final by top-scoring for India with 76 (59) and India ran out winners by 7 runs. He is the top run getter in T20 World World Cups, with 1,292 runs to his name in 33 innings spread between the 2012 and 2024 editions.

He is also the highest run getter in the history of the IPL, with 8,396 runs in 253 innings. He is second in the list of top run getters so far in IPL 2025, behind Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudarshan (417).

Should Kohli top the run charts at the end of this year’s IPL, he will become the first Indian batsman to win 3 Orange Caps, and second overall after David Warner, in the history of the competition.

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