Arijit Singh left the music world and his fans stunned on Tuesday as the singer announced he would be stepping away from playback singing. The announcement, made via social media, left fans and filmmakers alike in disbelief. Amid the flood of reactions, old tweets by Virat Kohli have resurfaced, showing his love for the singer.
Virat Kohli’s old Arijit Singh tweets resurfaces
Following Arijit’s announcement, a 2016 tweet by Kohli on X (formerly Twitter) resurfaced. In the post dated January 26, 2016, Kohli wrote, “I am probably one of the biggest fans of Arijit Singh. Mesmerized by his talent and soulful voice. I am short of words actually.”
I am probably one of the biggest fans of Arijit Singh. Mesmerised by his talent and soulful voice. I am short of words actually.
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 24, 2016
Another post, featuring a photograph of Kohli with Arijit, is also making the rounds. The cricketer described the moment as a “pure fanboy moment,” writing, “What an amazing person he is. No one has captivated me with their voice like this man. God bless you Arijit.”
Pure fanboy moment for me. What an amazing person he is. No one has captivated me with their voice like this man. God bless you Arijit. 🙏😊 pic.twitter.com/aQMeGjQP8y
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) October 17, 2017
Fans draw parallel between Kohli and Arijit
Fans were quick to compare Arijit Singh’s surprise retirement with Virat Kohli’s unexpected exit from Test cricket last year. One user wrote, “Arijit is the Virat Kohli of music. His retirement has left me in shock.” Another added, “Both chose to retire when they were at the top of their game.”
Arijit Singh retiring from singing hurts… but Virat Kohli retiring from Test cricket still hurts the most. pic.twitter.com/zaNqSShw8N
— Ayush Singh (@imabhinashS) January 27, 2026
Arijit Singh’s retirement is more shocking than Virat’s retirement!!! pic.twitter.com/SUnGuLZZtJ
— Snehal 🕊️ (@Snehalsays_03) January 27, 2026
Arijit Singh’s retirement is more shocking than Virat’s retirement!!! pic.twitter.com/SUnGuLZZtJ
— Snehal 🕊️ (@Snehalsays_03) January 27, 2026
Some even joked about the timing, “Kohli retired from tests. Arijit retired from singing. But ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ is still playing on TV.”
Kohli retired from tests. Arijit retired from singing. But “Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai” is still playing on TV.
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) January 27, 2026
Arijit Singh to focus on Indian Classical Music
In his social media post, Arijit clarified that he is stepping back only from playback singing, not music itself. He shared his plans to focus on Indian classical music and his own compositions. “I will make my own music. Will come up with my music whenever I am ready. I am going back to Indian Classical Music. I wanna go back to making music. I wanna start again,” he wrote.
Arijit reveals the reasons behind his decision
Replying to fans on X, Arijit revealed that his decision was not sudden: “There is not one reason behind this, there are several reasons plus I have been trying to do this since a long time. Finally I have gathered the right courage.”
Story continues below this ad
Opening up about his creative restlessness, he added, “One of the reasons is simple, I get bored pretty quick, that’s why I keep changing arrangements of the same songs and perform them on stage. So here is the thing, I got bored. I need to do some other music to live.”
Arijit also expressed a desire to make room for new talent: “Another reason is I am excited to hear some singer come up and give me real motivation,” he wrote.
Arijit Singh’s playback career
Arijit Singh’s journey in music began in 2010, when he worked as an assistant to composer Pritam. He quickly rose to fame, becoming one of Bollywood’s most celebrated voices with hits like Phir Le Aayaa Dil, Tum Hi Ho, Kabira, Channa Mereya, Kesariya, Phir Bhi Tumko Chahunga, Jaan Nisaar, and the title track of Kalank.
Over the years, Arijit’s extraordinary talent has earned him two National Film Awards for Binte Dil and Kesariya, solidifying his place as one of the most influential playback singers of his generation.
