Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli has once again become the centre of social media buzz — but this time, it’s not for his on-field performance. A recent video and photograph of Kohli, circulating on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, show him looking drastically different from his usual athletic and energetic self. The visual transformation has sparked a mix of shock, concern, and speculation among fans, with some even suggesting ominously, “The end is near.”
Kohli finally spoke out about his decision to retire from Test cricket at the YouWeCan event. Kohli said, “I just coloured my beard two days ago,” but he did not go into specifics. When you colour your beard every four days, you know it’s time. The fact that Virat has a lot of grey proves his point, even though it became fodder for memes to take potshots at Kohli because many thought he was concealing the true reason behind his humour.
When people first noticed Virat Kohli’s grey beard
Kohli’s grey beard has previously attracted a lot of attention. When Kohli shared a photo of himself and his wife, Anushka Sharma, in July 2023, his whitened beard went viral more than the photo itself. Kohli, like MS Dhoni, had a grey beard at a young age. It’s common knowledge that being captain of Indian cricket is extremely difficult and mentally taxing. In fact, Anushka wrote the following in her caption when Kohli resigned as India’s Test captain in early 2022.
“I remember MS [Dhoni], you and I having a chat and him joking about how quickly your beard will start turning grey. We all laughed heartily about it. I’ve witnessed more than just your beard going grey since that day. I have witnessed tremendous growth.
Following India’s victory in the T20 World Cup in the West Indies last year, Kohli announced his retirement from T20I cricket. Although it went according to plan, nobody was ready for him to say goodbye to the Test format less than a year later. Days before the selection of India’s Test team for the England tour, on May 12, Kohli stunned the world by announcing on Instagram that he was retiring from Test cricket after 14 illustrious years.
The postponement of India’s tour of Bangladesh further delayed Kohli’s expected return to action this month. It is now anticipated that Kohli will return to action for India in October when the team embarks on a limited-overs tour of Australia that will include three ODIs and five T20Is.
More than just a cricket player, Virat Kohli is a representation of hard work, dedication, and discipline. Fans must have been concerned by his recent unrecognizable appearance, but it’s best to wait for reliable updates before making quick presumptions.
For the time being, the country waits and observes, hoping that their hero will recover both physically and emotionally.