'Why did he play Ranji then?': Fans struggle with Virat Kohli's retirement news; plan white jersey tribute at RCB match

It hasn't sunk in yet¡ªand it doesn't seem like it will anytime soon. The retirement news of India's 'fittest' cricketer, Virat Kohli, still hasn't been digested by fans. After Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket, rumours began circulating that Kohli might also hang up his boots in the longest format of the game. But once he confirmed it through a social media post, fans were far from happy.

In fact, following R Ashwin's retirement from Test cricket midway through the Australia tour, the Men in Blue have now seen three legends walk away from the game without a farewell match. Many are upset by these retirements, drawing comparisons to how Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman also exited without proper send-offs.

However, some fans remain skeptical of Kohli's decision¡ªespecially since he recently played a Ranji Trophy game. The BCCI had made domestic red-ball participation mandatory for all players after India's dismal performance, including a 3¨C0 whitewash at home against New Zealand and the series Down Under against Australia.

Fans question why retire so soon?

At the age of 36, Virat Kohli's unexpected retirement from Test cricket has left the entire cricketing community in disbelief. The format he once cherished the most is now part of his past, and fans are struggling to come to terms with it.. His last red-ball outing, as fate would have it, came in a Ranji match for Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium - his home ground.

While fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to question why he played the Ranji Trophy game if he was planning to retire, a statement from Delhi's Ranji Trophy coach, Sarandeep Singh, has only added fuel to the fire.

I have a question, if Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma wanted to retire from the test format, then why did they go to play Ranji? @BCCI

¡ª Daryl Mitchell (@darylmitchell_) May 13, 2025

According to Sarandeep, there was absolutely no sign that Kohli was planning to walk away from Test cricket. In fact, he was excited about the five-Test tour of England and ready to lead from the front as a senior figure in the batting order.

"I was as shocked as any fan when I heard the news," Sarandeep said on Star Sports. "Only he knows the reason for his retirement. Everyone is stunned."

Delhi Ranji Coach mentioned, "When Virat Kohli played the Ranji Trophy, there were no signs of him retiring. He was talking about the upcoming England tour, saying he¡¯d be fully prepared this time." ? pic.twitter.com/kRb5sAVd3v

¡ª BharatBuzz (@BharatBuzz_1) May 12, 2025

"There was absolutely no indication of it. I hadn't heard anything from anyone either. Just look at the way he's performing in the IPL¡ªhe's in excellent form," he added.

Fans plan to pay tribute

Amid all this, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which took a one-week break, is set to resume on May 17, with the final scheduled for June 3. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the first match back, to be held in Bengaluru.

With the IPL resuming at Kohli's IPL home ground, fans have planned a special tribute. Many took to X to announce that they will wear the white Test jersey with Kohli's name and number on it when they attend the match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

make it for our man @imVkohli ?? pic.twitter.com/4XVDE3603K

¡ª v i s h n u (@vishn_uu) May 12, 2025

About the IPL

The tournament was suspended last week, just a day after the Punjab Kings (PBKS) vs Delhi Capitals (DC) match in Dharamsala was abandoned midway due to air raid alerts in nearby cities including Jammu and Pathankot.

Despite the situation stabilizing, most overseas players have already returned to their home countries. However, the BCCI has instructed franchises to regroup at their respective home venues by Tuesday in preparation for the league's restart.

?? #TATAIPL 2025 action is all set to resume on 17th May ?

The remaining League-Stage matches will be played across 6? venues ??

The highly anticipated Final will take place on 3rd June ?

Details ?https://t.co/MEaJlP40Um pic.twitter.com/c1Fb1ZSGr2

¡ª IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 12, 2025

As it stands, Gujarat Titans (GT) lead the points table with 16 points and a strong net run rate (NRR) of 0.793. RCB are close behind with the same points but a slightly lower NRR of 0.482. PBKS trail with 15 points, while Mumbai Indians (MI) sit on 14, followed by Delhi Capitals (DC) with 13, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with 11, and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) with 10. All teams remain in contention for a playoff berth.