'Since I retired from Test cricket…': Virat Kohli breaks silence on staying away from cricket for 5 months

Ahead of the first ODI against Australia, Kohli opened up on the time he spent away from cricket in the past five months, cherishing quality moments with his family. He shared how this phase has been beautiful and fulfilling, while also hinting at his special connection with Australia and the excitement it brings to his game.

“Yeah, I mean, look, it's been a long time off for me since I retired from Test Cricket and yeah, as I was just saying, just catching up on life. You know, I haven't been able to do anything for the last, I don't know how many years and yeah, just being able to spend some time, some quality time with your kids, with family at home. It's been a beautiful, beautiful phase and something that I've really enjoyed,” Kohli said on JioHotstar.

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“It's always lovely to be back in Australia”: Virat Kohli

Kohli has an impressive batting record in Australia, amassing 1,327 runs in 29 matches, repeatedly asserting his dominance over the Australian bowling attack.

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Meanwhile, Kohli expressed his joy at returning to Australia, reflecting on years of intense cricket battles and the respect earned on the field. He fondly recalled memorable moments in Perth, praising the relaxed atmosphere, beautiful wickets, and the pace and bounce that make batting there a true delight.

“It's always lovely to be back in Australia. A place that I've really enjoyed my cricket in. Hard-fought cricket over so many years, so many battles and yeah, eventually what I realized through the course of that whole journey was if you play your cricket competitive enough, hard enough and even if you're in the face of the opposition, you gain the respect after a certain point of time and that's what I experienced coming and playing here in this country and yeah, some good memories at this stadium. In Perth in general, I love coming to Perth. It's a really nice place, really relaxed. Something that I really enjoy and yeah, beautiful wickets to bat on, some pace and bounce which I always enjoy,” he added.

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