In a night full of fire and nostalgia at Mullanpur, Virat Kohli reminded fans of his vintage self. Aggressive, animated, and emotionally invested, he celebrated each Punjab Kings wicket like it was his own. But the joy was bittersweet, knowing this spark won’t light up Test cricket again. Kohli has just one match left before a four-month break, marking the end of his red-ball journey.

While the announcement of his Test retirement shocked fans, Kohli’s dismissal in a recent IPL match echoed the reason that dreaded ball outside off-stump. It’s haunted him throughout his career, especially in Australia, where he was dismissed by similar deliveries repeatedly.

His famous bottom hand, once a weapon, became a liability. Much like Ganguly’s short-ball weakness or Dhoni’s struggle with spin, Kohli too found his unsolvable flaw.

Now, October 19 is when we’ll next see him but not in whites.