Former India captain Virat Kohli, on Thursday, took to social media to announce his new management team, Sporting Beyond, who will handle all his business interests from here on. He further said that they share the same goal, values of integrity and transparency and love for the sport. However, the timing of the post and the words used sent internet into a nightmare.
The decision came in the wake of Kohli having reportedly ended his long-term partnership with Cornerstone, a celebrity management company.
“I am excited to announce a fresh start with Sporting Beyond, my new team, who have been working with me for a while now,” Kohli said in a statement on social media.
“The team at Sporting Beyond shares my goals and my values of transparency, integrity and a love for sport, in all its forms. This opens a new chapter for me as I look forward to my partnership with my new team, who will be working with me on all of my business interests,” he added.
However, the manner and the timing of the announcement left fans thinking that the 35-year-old announced his retirement from cricket ahead of his campaign in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar trophy. Here are some of the reactions…
Why the ‘retirement’ scare among fans?
Kohli may have reached the twilight of his illustrious career, but retirement was never in discussion among fans or experts when 2024 began. But as the year seems to come to an end, discussions about India likely to move on from the modern-era legend have slowly begun to grow pace, especially after the recently-concluded Test series against New Zealand, where India incurred a humiliating 0-3 whitewash.
2024 has not been the year for Kohli in Test cricket. While he missed the home campaign against England earlier this year, owing to the birth of his second child, he turned to the format in September for the series against Bangladesh, where he managed 99 runs in four innings, before scoring just 93 against the Kiwis at 15.50, his worst average in a home contest in seven years. The two series further highlighted his growing vulnerability against spin.
In the wake of the poor show, veterans and experts reckon that the Australia series could be a make-or-break campaign for Kohli. Another bad performance could see BCCI moving on from the India legend when they begin the next WTC cycle with the tour of England in the summer of 2025.
Kohli had earlier retired from T20I format following India’s T20 World Cup title win in June this year, and is believed will play his final ODI match in the Champions Trophy next February.