Is Virat Kohli Returning to Test Cricket? India Star Batter's Childhood Coach Drops a Hint

A year after Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket, his childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma has sparked a frenzy with a cryptic comment about a potential comeback. The hint has divided fans, with some hopeful for a return and others believing his celebrated Test career is over.

Team India star batter Virat Kohli and his career in Test cricket were nothing short of legendary, making his sudden departure from the format a hard pill for fans to swallow. On May 12, 2025, Kohli bid adieu to his illustrious career in the longest format of the game, leaving behind a legacy that cemented him as one of the format's greatest modern ambassadors.

Over an illustrious 14-year Test journey, the Indian batting stalwart has amassed 9,230 runs, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties, at an average of 46.85 in 123 matches. Kohli’s captaincy tenure witnessed India transforming into a ruthless powerhouse across the globe, establishing a standard of dominance by winning series in formidable conditions and maintaining the No.1 ranking for five consecutive years.

Under his leadership, Team India won 40 matches in 68 outings, with a win percentage of 58.82%, making him the most successful Indian Test captain and the fourth most successful overall in the history of the game.

Kohli’s Coach Sparks Buzz on Potential Test Comeback

Recently, Virat Kohli completed one year of retirement from Test cricket, sparking a wave of nostalgia and emotional reactions from fans on social media. However, a year after his farewell to the longest format of the game, star batter Rajkumar Sharma’s childhood sparked buzz on his disciple’s potential return to Tests.

Speaking on Express Cafe, Rajkumar revealed that many asked him to ask Virat to return to Test cricket because he listens to him, given his relationship with his childhood coach after becoming a successful batter.

“Many people have told me to ask Virat to return to Test cricket because he listens to me,” Rajkumar said.

When the anchor asked Kohli’s coach about the potential Test return, he gave a cryptic, highly enticing response that immediately sent the cricketing world into a frenzy.

“We are talking about it. Let’s see what happens,” he added.

Virat Kohli first retired from T20Is following Team India’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2024, and then, almost a year later, the former captain stepped away from Test cricket, shifting his focus towards only ODI cricket, intending to extend his illustrious international career till the 2027 World Cup, which will take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in October-November next year.

Here’s How Fans Reacted to Kohli’s Coach Dropping a Shocking Hint on His Test Return

The veteran Indian batter Virat Kohli’s childhood Rajkumar Sharma’s revelation completely tore up the script, with fans and cricket enthusiasts on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), sparking a wave of reactions on his potential Test comeback.

Taking to their X handles, fans and cricket enthusiasts reacted with mixed opinions on a possible Test comeback of Kohli, with some expressing hope that even a “1% chance” is enough to believe in his return, while others dismissed the possibility as unrealistic and said it is better to accept his retirement, calling his Test career complete and unlikely to restart.

Virat Kohli is currently part of the ongoing IPL 2026, representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the 19th successive season, ending the record for playing for a single team since the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008.

Kohli is currently at the sixth spot in the Orange Cap race, with 542 runs, including a century and 4 fifties, at an average of 54.20 and a strike rate of 164.74 in 13 matches.