Virat Kohli arrives in Vrindavan with wife Anushka day after Test retirement-OxBig News Network

A day after announcing his shock retirement from Test cricket, Virat Kohli was seen visiting Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh along with wife Anushka Sharma on May 13. The couple visited the Vrindavan Dham to seek blessings from their spiritual guru, Premanand Maharaj, whom they have closely followed over the years.

Kohli’s visit to the holy city came amid widespread reactions to his decision to step away from his favourite format. The 35-year-old had informed the BCCI of his retirement plans in advance, but reports suggest that a senior board official had been trying to persuade him to continue, especially for the upcoming five-Test tour of England starting June 20.

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Kohli’s announcement brought the curtain down on a glittering red-ball career that began in 2011. He retires as one of India’s greatest Test batters, amassing 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and seven double hundreds — the most by any Indian in the format. As captain, he led India to 40 wins in 68 Tests, making him the most successful skipper in the nation’s history.

His retirement comes just five days after Rohit Sharma also bid farewell to the longest format, signalling the end of an era in Indian cricket. Kohli’s absence leaves a leadership and batting vacuum ahead of India’s new World Test Championship cycle.

The visit to Vrindavan is being seen by many as a personal moment of reflection and spiritual grounding for the couple. Kohli and Anushka have made multiple visits to spiritual centres in recent years, often in times of transition.

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