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Last Updated:January 23, 2026, 13:10 IST
Virat Kohli congratulates Saina Nehwal on her retirement, lauding her legendary badminton career and impact on Indian sports after chronic knee problems.
Saina Nehwal in action at the 2019 Singapore Open (Picture credit: AFP)
Ace India batter Virat Kohli on Friday extended his heartfelt wishes to 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist shuttler Saina Nehwal, who recently announced that she is long retired from badminton, with her body not being able to keep up with the demands of the sport.
Saina, who has been sidelined for the past two years because of a chronic knee problem, confirmed her retirement from competitive badminton earlier this week, stating that her body could no longer withstand the physical demands of elite sport.
Saina, a 2012 London Olympic bronze medallist, last played a competitive match at the Singapore Open in 2023 but didn’t announce her retirement at the time.
“Congratulations @NSaina on a legendary career that put Indian badminton on the world stage. Wishing you a happy, fulfilling and well-deserved retirement. India is proud. 🇮🇳🏸," Kohli tweeted on Friday afternoon.
Congratulations @NSaina on a legendary career that put Indian badminton on the world stage. Wishing you a happy, fulfilling and well-deserved retirement. India is proud. 🇮🇳🏸— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 23, 2026
Saina’s career was derailed by a career-threatening knee injury at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Although she mounted a brilliant comeback, winning a World Championships bronze in 2017 and Commonwealth Games gold in 2018, recurring knee problems continued to hamper her progress.
In 2024, Saina disclosed that she had developed arthritis in her knees and suffered cartilage wear, making it tough to train at the intensity demanded by elite-level competition.
Saina emphasised that she did not feel a formal retirement announcement was necessary, believing her prolonged absence from competition spoke for itself.
“Slowly, people will also realise that Saina is not playing," Nehwal said on a recent podcast, which brought her retirement to light.
“I did not think it was such a big matter to announce my retirement. I just felt my time was up because I could not push much, as my knee wasn’t able to push like before," Saina added.
First Published:
January 23, 2026, 13:10 IST
News sports badminton 'Well-Deserved Retirement': Virat Kohli Extends Heartfelt Wishes To Saina Nehwal
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