Mohammad Kaif claims Virat Kohli walked away from Test cricket because he no longer felt welcome in the Indian team, calling it the real reason behind a retirement that stunned the cricket world 14 months ago.
Speaking at the Amar Ujala Samwad event in Dehradun on June 24, 2026, the former India batter made his most direct statement yet on why Kohli ended his 14-year Test career just days before the England tour in May 2025.
“Test cricket was Virat Kohli’s favorite format, and he wanted to continue playing it. Virat Kohli left Test cricket because he felt that he was not welcomed properly and that people did not want to see him in the team. He felt that he was no longer needed in the Test side. The circumstances became such that he had to leave Test cricket, and no one is talking about this.”
Mohammad Kaif, Amar Ujala Samwad, Dehradun, June 24, 2026
Kaif made the remarks while referencing a recent statement from Kohli himself. That statement, made on the RCB Podcast in May 2026, may be the most telling thing Kohli has said about his Test exit since the day he announced it.
“If I can add value to the environment that I am part of, and the environment feels that I can add value, I will be seen. If I am made to feel like I need to prove my worth and my value, I am not in that space.”
Virat Kohli, RCB Bold Diaries Podcast, May 15, 2026
No outlet covering Kaif’s Amar Ujala remarks has connected these two statements. Read together, they tell the same story from two different voices. Kaif says Kohli felt unwelcome. Kohli says he will not stay where he has to prove his worth. The language is different. The meaning is identical.
RevSportz, analysing Kohli’s podcast appearance, noted that between the lines there was clear disappointment and frustration, and described Kohli as someone who wants to be somewhere only if he is welcome, not to prove a point or force himself on anyone.
This is not the first time Kaif has spoken about this. He has returned to the subject three times since Kohli retired, and each time his words have become more specific. In May 2025, days after the retirement, Kaif told IANS there must have been internal talks with the BCCI and that selectors may have told Kohli his spot was no longer guaranteed. He was careful, using words like “may have” and “we will never find out.” By October 2025, speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif was more direct. He said Kohli wanted to go on the England tour but things happened within the team that made him feel like many people did not want him there anymore. He added that when a player does not feel supported by coaches or selectors, it becomes too much. By June 2026 at the Amar Ujala event, there was no hedging left. Kaif stated it plainly: Kohli felt he was not welcomed properly.
The progression matters. These are not recycled quotes. Each statement moved closer to saying something that no one in Indian cricket has been willing to say clearly: Kohli did not choose to leave Test cricket. The environment made him feel he had no choice.
🚨 BIG STATEMENT BY MOHAMMAD KAIF ON VIRAT KOHLI’S TEST RETIREMEMT 🤯
Mohammad Kaif said 🗣
“Virat Kohli has left the test match. Recently a statement of his came in which he is saying that brother, I left because I was not feeling welcome in the team. I felt that people wanted… pic.twitter.com/8WAJhsIOzR— Venky Mama (@venkymama100) July 25, 2026
What Led Kohli to the Exit
The timeline of events between January and May 2025 supports what Kaif is describing. During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Kohli scored 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75, with a single century at Perth followed by a string of identical dismissals outside off stump. Reports in the Times of India stated that Kohli told teammates during the series that he was done with Test cricket. At the time, those words were dismissed as frustration from a difficult tour.
After returning from Australia, Kohli played for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, which was widely seen as a signal that he still had Test ambitions and was following the BCCI’s directive for international players to participate in domestic cricket. Reports then emerged that Kohli asked the BCCI to be reinstated as Test captain. The board rejected the request. A BCCI source told the Times of India that a new World Test Championship cycle was starting and that continuity and future planning had to take priority, adding that head coach Gautam Gambhir would want a set of players he could work with for an extended period.
The captaincy rejection changed the equation. By April 2025, it was clear that Kohli was not only not getting the captaincy back, he was not even a guaranteed starter for the England Tests. Kohli had even expressed interest in playing for India A to prepare for the tour, but the direction from the team management had already shifted toward a younger squad.
After the fifth Test in Sydney, Gambhir had said publicly that his job was to be honest with everyone and to treat every player the same, whether they were making their debut or had played 100 Tests. On its surface, the statement sounds reasonable. In the context of what followed, it takes on a different weight. A week later, Rohit Sharma retired from Tests. Five days after that, Kohli followed.
Former Delhi coach and ex-selector Sarandeep Singh, who had recently spoken with Kohli, said there had been no indication of retirement in their conversations and that Kohli was in top shape, motivated, and wanted three or four centuries in England. Former head coach Ravi Shastri said Kohli confided in him a week before the announcement and that his mind was very clear.
Insider Read:
A player with 9,230 Test runs and 30 centuries knows exactly what that shift feels like. He has seen it happen to others. And when it happens to him, he does not need anyone to spell it out.
When Kaif says Kohli felt unwelcome, he is not describing a fight or a confrontation. He is describing something quieter and more difficult to fight back against. It is the slow withdrawal of the backing that every senior player depends on to perform at the highest level. A player can handle bad form. A player can handle technical problems. What breaks even the strongest competitor is the feeling that the system has already moved past him while he is still in the room.
The fact that Kohli played Ranji Trophy, expressed interest in India A, and asked for the captaincy back tells you everything about where his head was. He was trying to fight his way back in. The retirement was not a planned exit. It was the point where he realized the fight was not going to be met halfway.
At the One8 footwear launch in New Delhi on June 21, 2026, Kohli was asked whether a shoe priced at 9,230 rupees, matching his Test run tally, was a hint about a possible return. His reply was sharp: “I would rather undersell, I’m done with it.” There was no hesitation and no door left open.
Kohli retired from Test cricket in May 2025 with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and seven double hundreds. He remains India’s most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches. He continues to represent India in ODI cricket.
MOHAMMAD KAIF ON VIRAT KOHLI & WHY HE LEFT TEST CRICKET. 🥺 (Amar Ujala).pic.twitter.com/vh6Qua3LWc
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) June 27, 2026
Also Read:
- Kaif Rates Gambhir 4 Out of 10 as India Coach
- Ashwin on Gambhir and Player Security in India
- Karthik on Gambhir and Agarkar’s Treatment of Players
- Madan Lal on Kohli’s Captaincy Mistake
- Nasser Hussain’s Kohli Lords Tribute
- Vikrant Gupta on India Bowling and Dressing Room Dynamics
- Vikrant Gupta on Gambhir and Agarkar Review
- India Selection Controversy
- Travis Head Explains Kohli Handshake
- Kohli in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2026
