Virat Kohli left everyone bemused after the comments that he made during the post-match presentation that took place after India beat West Indies comprehensively in the first ODI match on Sunday. Soon after the Indian captain said, “I have few years left in my career to enjoy this sport,” rumours were rife that the 29-year-old cricketer would be retiring soon. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Pictured With Bookie in Al Jazeera’s Spot-Fixing Report.

However, putting an end to all the speculations Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma came out with a clarification about the comment that sent everybody into a tizzy. Talking to India News, Sharma said that Kohli is going nowhere and is here to stay; he didn’t probably meant with what he said and added that he had 10 years of cricket left in him. Virat Kohli Crosses 2,000-Run Mark for Fifth Time in a Calendar Year; Equals Sachin Tendulkar’s Record, Surpasses Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting and Others.

He said, “I don’t think he wanted to say a few years. You be assured. You will see him playing for India for the next 10 years. He will not retire before the age of 40 as his appetite to make runs will not satiate before that. He did not want to say that. He wanted to say that he has 5-7 years left to play the game. He is not going anywhere for the next 10 years. There is no injury concern to him.”

Earlier, Virat Kohli had sent shockwaves amongst the fans when the Indian captain said that he had a few years of cricket left in him and playing for the country is a matter of pride and honour – something that is a more often than not a perfect start to a farewell speech. Is Virat Kohli Planning an Early Retirement? His Comments Post IND vs WI 1st ODI Suggest So!

Kohli had said, “I have few years left in my career to enjoy this sport. Playing for the country is a matter of pride and a huge honour. You can't afford to take any game lightly. You got to be honest to the sport, and that is when the sport gives you back. I try to do that.”

It cannot be denied that Kohli has certainly missed a lot of games in the last 12 months or so. There were injury concerns before India’s tour to England too, where the Indian captain suffered a neck injury and was believed that he might not tour England. Also, Kohli had opted out of Asia Cup 2018 to manage his workload.

Well, it is very much unpredictable when it comes to the game of cricket. Speculations are doing the rounds, and looking at how Virat Kohli stresses the importance of fitness; it is highly unlikely that he will be retiring soon.

However, whether what he said or what he meant during the post-match conference on Sunday means something or not is for Kohli to decide. For now, his childhood coach has tried to clear the brewing smoke on Vira Kohli’s retirement plans!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 23, 2018 09:47 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).