Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has backed Virat Kohli’s remarks about no longer wanting to constantly “prove” himself late into his career. Ashwin said that Virat Kohli had already achieved more than enough in international cricket and should not have to repeatedly justify his place or value after playing for nearly two decades at the top level.

Speaking on RCB’s podcast, Kohli said, “My perspective is very clear. If I can add value to the environment that I am part of, and the environment feels that I can add value, I will be seen. If I am made to feel like I need to prove my worth and my value, I am not in that space.

“If you go to a workplace and people say they believe in your abilities and a week later they start questioning the way you operate, it’s like, ‘ Why?” he said. “Either tell me on day one that I am not good enough or not needed. But if you have said I am good enough and you are not thinking otherwise, then be quiet.”

“If Virat Kohli is saying that he doesn’t need to prove his worth to anyone, then he is right. There’s nothing left for him to prove to anybody. My thought process was the same, too. Who do I even have to prove anything to? After playing for so many years and winning many games for India, who does he still need to prove to?” Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel.

Ashwin added that the experienced players reach a stage where they realise the battle is with themselves and not the outside noise.

“What people say from the outside is just their job. When you are young, there is often a strong urge to say, ‘I will prove you wrong.’ But maturity and wisdom come when you realise that the battle is not with anyone else, but with yourself. The moment you have that realisation, life becomes very easy. I think Virat has reached that point. It is not easy to leave regrets behind,” Ashwin explained.

Kohli is currently shining in the ongoing IPL 2026, scoring 542 runs in 13 matches of the season for RCB at an average of 54.20 and a strike rate of 164.74.