Virat Kohli’s white-bearded look sparks ODI retirement speculation
London: Former Team India skipper Virat Kohli has set social media abuzz after a recent picture showing him with a visibly white beard went viral. The photograph, taken with a man identified as Shash Patel in London, quickly caught the attention of fans, many of whom speculated whether the cricket star was hinting at an impending retirement from One Day Internationals.
Kohli’s appearance comes weeks after his presence at an event hosted by Yuvraj Singh on July 10, where he jokingly remarked about dyeing his beard every few days while discussing his Test retirement decision. Fans have expressed concern over his ODI future, citing his age and the early greying of his beard, something he shares with former captain MS Dhoni.
This is not the first time Kohli’s salt-and-pepper look has gone viral. In July 2023, a photo with wife Anushka Sharma also drew attention to his greying facial hair.
Kohli retired from T20Is last year after India’s World Cup triumph in the West Indies, and in May 2025, he stunned the cricket world by announcing his retirement from Test cricket after 14 years. His comeback to the field was expected this month, but the postponement of India’s Bangladesh tour has delayed his return.
The star batter is now expected to rejoin the Indian squad in October for a limited-overs tour of Australia, which will feature three ODIs and five T20Is.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Parents fear uncertainty after Karnataka govt rules out age limit relaxation for Class 1 admission
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has ruled out any relaxation of the minimum age limit for admission to Class 1 beginning with the academic year 2026-27. Following the refusal, a group of parents continues to press for leniency.
Parents of children who fall under the age of six by a small margin on the cut-off date have met Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and senior officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy to request an exemption. School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that the government will not change its decision, as reported by Deccan Herald.
According to the minister, children must be six years old by June 1 to be eligible for admission to Class 1. beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. He noted that the previous relaxation was a one-time measure that was clearly confined to the 2025-26 academic year.
“If such requests are entertained every year, it will never end. While granting relaxation last year, it was explicitly stated that it applied only to one academic year. From 2026-27 onwards, the rule will be strictly implemented,” Bangarappa was quoted by DH.
Parents argue that the rigid cut-off is affecting children who are short by a few days. One parent was quoted by DH as saying that his daughter would be 12 days short of completing six years on June 1. Such parents would be forced to repeat a year despite being academically ready. Others pointed out that children promoted from LKG to UKG during the 2025-26 academic year are now facing uncertainty over their transition to Class 1.
Few parents also recalled that earlier, admissions were allowed for children aged between five years and 10 months and six years. Parents saw it as a more practical approach, with children born in November and December being disproportionately affected.
The issue of age criterion goes back to a government order issued in July 2022. The order mandated six years as the minimum age for Class 1 admission. Parents of children already enrolled in pre-primary classes, protested against the order and the state deferred implementation, announcing that the rule would come into force from the 2025-26 academic year.
After renewed pressure, the government granted a one-year relaxation for 2025-26, citing the large number of students affected and in consultation with the State Education Policy Commission. While announcing the exemption, the minister had stated that no further concessions would be allowed.
