Virat Kohli’s Grey Beard Sparks Concern A Look at His Recent Transformation

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] August 8: Virat Kohli has sparked concern among fans after a new picture of the Indian batting superstar emerged on Friday. Kohli was clicked with a guy called Shash Kiran in London, and while social media could not confirm who the person is, Virat's grey beard grabbed all the attention. Kohli looks visibly different, even borderline unrecognisable because of the greyness in his beard, and the fact that he is 36, closing in on 37, hit his fans like a brick. Less than a month after he last made a public appearance – in an event hosted by Yuvraj Singh on July 10 – Kohli’s appearance has left fans shocked and concerned.

Virat Kohli's Test Retirement

It was during the YouWeCan event that Kohli broke his silence on his decision to retire from Test cricket. Although he did not elaborate in detail, Kohli did mention, “I just coloured my beard two days ago. You know it’s time when you are colouring your beard every four days.” While it became fodder for memes to aim potshots at Kohli, with many believing he was hiding the real reason behind his humour, the fact that Virat has a lot of grey proves his point.

When Virat Kohli’s grey beard first caught attention

This isn’t the first time Kohli’s grey beard has captured all attention. In July 2023, Kohli posted a picture with his wife, Anushka Sharma, in which his increasingly white beard became more viral than the post itself. Like MS Dhoni, Kohli, too, developed a grey beard quite early. It’s a well-established fact that captaincy in Indian cricket is no cakewalk and that It takes a heavier mental toll than anything else. In fact, when Kohli had stepped down as India’s Test captain in early 2022, Anushka, in her caption, had noted the following.

“I remember MS [Dhoni], you and I having a chat and him joking about how quickly your beard will start turning grey. We all had a good laugh about it. Since that day, I’ve seen more than just your beard turning grey. I’ve seen growth; immense growth.”

Virat Kohli's T20I Retirement

Virat Kohli retired from T20I cricket last year after India won the T20 World Cup in the West Indies. But while it was on expected lines, no one was prepared for him bidding adieu to the Test format too, less than a year later. On May 12, Kohli shocked the world when he announced his retirement from Test cricket after 14 glorious years, on Instagram, days before India’s Test squad for the tour of England was to be picked.

Kohli was expected to return to action this month, but the postponement of India’s tour of Bangladesh delayed his comeback even further. Kohli is now expected to be back playing for India in October, when the Indian team travels to Australia for a limited-overs tour, featuring three ODIs and five T20Is.