India, May 18 -- Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said Virat Kohli was "mentally fried," and this is the main reason behind the latter's retirement in the longest format of the game. The Indian superstar, who represented India in 123 Tests, announced his retirement earlier this week. The decision surprised several within the cricketing fraternity. Kohli's announcement came just days before the upcoming five-match Test series between India and England.

Kohli finished his Test career 770 runs short of the 10,000-run mark. He is India's fourth-highest run-scorer in the longest format, only behind Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.

The 36-year-old is also the most successful Indian Test captain, having led the team to 4...