October 16, 2025 : India batting star Virat Kohli, on Thursday, shared a cryptic social media post just hours after the Shubman Gill-led ODI team landed in Perth for the upcoming white-ball tour of Australia, potentially putting retirement rumours to rest once and for all. Kohli has been named in the 50-over squad, with the series set to begin on October 19 at the Optus Stadium. India will play three ODIs before moving on to the five-match T20I contest.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Kohli shared a coded message emphasising resilience and mindset, stating that failure isn’t the setback itself, but the moment you quit trying. His post implied that success comes from persistence and that he is not ready to hang up his boots yet.
His tweet read: “The only time you truly fail, is when you decide to give up.”
It was Kohli’s first non-brand related tweet since he wished Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a happy birthday on September 17. In fact, Kohli has stayed away from social media over the last few , and was last active during India’s tour of England, where he complemented the Gill-led Test side during their performance in Birmingham and at the Oval.
Why Australia series is important for Virat Kohli?
The social media post came amid swirling rumours around his future in international cricket. The 36-year-old had retired from T20Is in June last year, after India won the T20 World Cup in Barbados, and then shockingly exited from Test cricket earlier this month, just two weeks before the announcement of the squad for the tour of England.
Summary:
Virat Kohli’s cryptic Instagram post after arriving in Australia dismissed retirement speculation, emphasizing focus and resilience with his message: “The only time you fail is when you stop trying.”