'ODI Retirement Soon?' Virat Kohli's Unrecognisable Pic from London Leaves Fans Worried

Virat Kohli, the face of not just Indian but world cricket for over a decade, has left his fans feeling uneasy after a photo with a supporter in London went viral online.

The viral picture shows Kohli with a noticeably grey beard — so much so, some could barely recognise him. While Kohli is still in superb physical shape, this sudden shift in appearance has reignited fresh speculation about the future of his ODI career.

Beard Jokes Turn Serious

© X/BCCI

Not long ago, Kohli light-heartedly joked about his beard becoming greyer. At a charity event in London, he had jokingly remarked, “I just coloured my beard two days ago. You know it's time when you are colouring your beard every four days,” as reported by multiple news websites.

Virat Kohli with Shash Kiran in the UK. pic.twitter.com/Y9JoWrO1Gl

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 8, 2025

This subtle joke was meant to explain his decision to retire from Test cricket, but with this latest image doing the rounds, it has made his die-hard supporters extremely wary of his ODI future.

Retirement Rumours Reignited

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The 36-year-old has already said goodbye to Tests and T20Is, leaving ODIs as the only format he’s still playing for India. His die-hard supporters are starting to wonder if the London picture is a sign that the end could be closer than everyone had anticipated.

“White beard. ODI retirement soon,” wrote one fan, while another added, “daadhi kuchh zyada hi safed ho gayi (The beard has turned a bit more greyer than normal).”

Bc white beard 😱 odi retirement soon 😕

— Devendra 🇮🇳 (@Devendra786s) August 8, 2025

Budha ho gya

— Nishant 🇮🇳 (@Nishantchant) August 8, 2025

Yeh aadmi kahi se lag raha hai 37 saal ka mai 45 ka hu isse jyada baal to mere kaale hai 😂😂 BC age fraud karte hai sab 😜

— Kumar (@VIJAYJNR) August 8, 2025

daadhi kuchh zyada hi safed ho gayi

— Arun Lol (@dhaikilokatweet) August 8, 2025

Sher boodha ho gya lgta hai

— Shukla ji jaunpur wale (@shukla_ji_hu) August 8, 2025

On social media, the phrase “ODI retirement loading soon?” has started trending, indicating rising anxiety among fans who never imagined their favourite batter would step away so soon, despite being one of the fittest athletes in the country.

Road Ahead for Kohli

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Despite all of the buzz, Kohli is available for ODI selection and is expected to return for India’s next big ODI series in Australia later this year. Kohli’s hunger for runs and love for the game have not faded, and many experts believe he has enough left to play top-level cricket for a few more years — at least until the 2027 ODI World Cup.

The Heart of the Matter

© X/BCCI

For now, it’s just a grey beard and some harmless jokes, but cricket fans know how quickly things can change. Kohli’s viral photo has reminded supporters of how time moves on, even for sporting legends. Whether or not his ODI retirement is really around the corner remains to be seen — but one thing is for sure, every new Kohli innings will be watched even more closely from here on out.