Suresh Raina feels Virat Kohli retired “too soon” from T20Is

Suresh Raina expressed disappointment with Virat Kohli's decision to retire from T20Is, claiming that it happened too soon.

Suresh Raina feels Virat Kohli retired “too soon” from T20Is

Suresh Raina claimed that Virat Kohli retired from T20Is too soon (via NDTV Sports)

Ex-Indian cricketer-turned commentator Suresh Raina expressed his disappointment with Virat Kohli’s decision to retire from T20Is last year. The former Chennai Super Kings star felt that it happened ‘too soon’. His comments came after 36-year-old scored a match-winning knock for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Rajasthan Royals.

Virat Kohli helped RCB claim an impressive 11-run victory over RR, breaking the Chinnaswamy jinx for the first time this season. Batting first, the home side posted a massive first innings total of 205 runs. Kohli top-scored with a 70-run knock off 42 deliveries, while Devdutt Padikkal scored 50 runs off just 27 balls. In response, RR, despite getting off to a decent start, fell short of the target by 11 runs. 

Meanwhile, for Virat Kohli, who remains the highest run-getter in IPL history, it marked his fifth half-century of the season, as well as his second consecutive one. He jumped from the eighth to the second spot in the 2025 IPL Orange Cap list, and remains only behind Gujarat Titans’ opener Sai Sudharsan. Kohli, with his sublime knock against RR, took his overall tally to 392 runs in nine matches.

Virat Kohli’s innings against RR was so good that it prompted former Indian cricketer and IPL legend Suresh Raina to declare that Kohli had announced his retirement from the shortest format of the game internationally, too soon. The former CSK star hoped for the 36-year-old to reverse his decision to retire from T20Is, and come back to play for India at the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Raina also highlighted Kohli’s hitting abilities as well as his fitness, while exclaiming that there is a lot of cricket left in him. Virat Kohli had announced his retirement from T20Is last year, following India’s 2024 T20 World Cup win. He was interestingly named the Player of the Match in the final against South Africa, after he smashed a crucial 76 runs to guide the Men in Blue to its first major ICC trophy in 13 years.

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…

Suresh Raina on Star Sports (H/T News 18)

Kohli bid adieu to T20I cricket, alongside captain Rohit Sharma and veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, to make way for younger players in the Indian side. The RCB does boast a brilliant international record in the shortest format, having scored 4188 runs at an average of 48.69 in 125 T20Is. He has also featured in six T20 World Cups, and is the all-time third highest-run getter in the format, internationally.

Kohli has been in blistering form in the IPL, overshadowing his recent struggles in red-ball cricket. Following his match-winning display against RR, he also became the first player in the history of the competition to score more than 3500 runs at a single venue (M. Chinnaswamy Stadium).

Suresh Raina’s makes scathing assessment of his former IPL team

Ex-Indian cricketer Suresh Raina did not mince words while criticizing his former IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings, for their poor display in the competition, this season. Raina made a scathing assessment of MS Dhoni-led CSK, who languish at the bottom of the 2025 IPL table.

Suresh Raina on CSK 2025 team
IPL legend Suresh Raina claimed that the 2025 CSK side lacks intent and hunger. (via NDTV Sports)

In a conversation with former teammate Harbhajan Singh, Raina, who made 176 appearances for CSK between 2008 and 2021, questioned the team’s lack of intent and hunger to win matches. He also stated that the five-time winners appear to be at their worst in 2025. Raina also noted that the CSK management made an error by not choosing to go after young players and local talents at the 2025 IPL auction.

Nonetheless, the MS Dhoni-led side face a daunting challenge, as they now have to win all of their last six encounters to make it into the play-offs this season. It seems to be an impossible task for the Men in Yellow, who have the lowest Net Run Rate in the competition.

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