Saina Nehwal, a 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist shuttler, recently announced her retirement from professional badminton, stating that her body could no longer handle the physical demands of the sport. Former Indian captain Virat Kohli sent her his best wishes.
When Saina last participated in a competitive match at the Singapore Open in 2023, she had not yet made a formal announcement about her retirement. Because of their accomplishments and longevity at the top level, Kohli and Saina have inspired millions of people and established themselves as dominant figures in their respective sports.
“Congratulations to @NSaina on an incredible career that elevated Indian badminton to a global level.
I hope your retirement is joyful, rewarding, and well-earned. “I am proud of India,” Kohli wrote on X.
Congratulations @NSaina on a legendary career that put Indian badminton on the world stage. Wishing you a happy, fulfilling and well-deserved retirement. India is proud. 🇮🇳🏸
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 23, 2026
Since retiring from T20 Internationals and Test cricket, Kohli has seen very little action for the national team. Kohli has played in three ODI series for India since the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 ended, and he has continued to have a significant influence in the 50-over game. He has scored three hundreds and three half-centuries throughout this time.
In the series against Australia, Kohli made his ODI comeback. He had a difficult start, taking two ducks, but he recovered with a calm half-century in the last game. After that, he scored two straight hundreds and a half-century at home against South Africa, displaying exceptional form. India dominated the match, and he was named Player of the Series for his great achievements.
In his most recent match, Kohli struck a century and a half-century against New Zealand. India lost the ODI series 1-2 despite his exceptional heroics. However, Kohli’s performance continued to be one of the team’s significant advantages.
Kohli has been a cornerstone of Indian cricket in all formats. With an average above 45 in all three forms, he has scored 9,230 runs in Tests, 14,797 runs in ODIs, and 4,188 runs in T20Is. After Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 100 hundreds, Kohli is the second-highest century scorer in world cricket with 85 international hundreds. On July 14, Kohli is anticipated to make his comeback for India in a three-match ODI series against England in England.
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