Virat Kohli recently has been on a record breaking run and on a mission to cement himself as one of the greatest batsmen in the world. 

The Indian skipper has been unstoppable lately. He recently overtook Sachin Tendulkar to become the quickest to score 10,000 ODI runs for India and is the only active batsman, who remains in closing distance of overtaking Tendulkar’s figure of most international centuries. He also overtook Sri Lankan cricketing icon Kumar Sangakkara to take the third spot on the batsmen with most international centuries list, just two spots below Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar.

With him having his age on his side, he still has many more years to break records and fill his shelf with accolades. But, according to Kohli, cricket is just one significant part of his life and believes in keeping his family at the top in his list of priorities. 

“8 years down the line, priority would be family. Priority would be myself, Anushka and our family by then. Cricket would obviously be a part of my life always but I think family should be priority at all times because nothing is bigger than life. Cricket is a part of life, nothing should be bigger than life,” Kohli said on his Mobile Application, Virat Kohli App.

“I know people take life too seriously and be like… ‘if you don’t take cricket too seriously, then you’re not committed enough’. I don’t believe in all that. The larger picture always has to be life because whatever happens and may happen, you always come back home.

“So I think the priority will be family, should be family. Cricket will be a very special part of my life, but it’s not the most important thing in life is the way I see it. I am blessed to be able to do it right now, it has to end one day. Eight years down the line, I think I will be totally focused on my family,” he added.

On being asked about his post-retirement plans, Kohli replied saying he’d never go back and pick up a bat again once he’s decided to put them down for good. “As far as I am concerned, playing more cricket when I am done, I don’t think I am in that zone at all, to be honest. I have played enough cricket in the last five years and look I can’t comment on even the first thing I’m going to do when I retire because I don’t feel like I am going to pick up the bat again; to be honest. I’d be spent,” he said.

“The day I’d finish, I’d be totally spent and that’s the reason I am going to stop playing cricket. So, I don’t see myself coming back again and again. I think once I’m done, I’d be done and won’t be seen around the scene,” he added.