“No Chance Of Return”: Munaf Patel Shuts Down Talk Of Virat Kohli’s Test Comeback

Munaf Patel believes Virat Kohli will not return to Test cricket after retirement, citing ego and achievements. The former India pacer shared his views on a podcast, stressing Kohli has already accomplished everything in the format.

Former India seamer Munaf Patel has said he does not expect Virat Kohli to reverse his retirement from Test cricket during the ongoing 2025‑27 World Test Championship cycle. Kohli, 37, announced his retirement from red‑ball cricket on May 12, 2025, ending a career of 123 matches in which he scored 9,230 runs, including 31 fifties and 30 hundreds.

Speaking on the ‘Breaking Sports with Vivek Sethia’ YouTube podcast released on January 29, Munaf was asked about the possibility of Kohli returning to the format. The 42‑year‑old replied that a player of Kohli’s stature is unlikely to come back once the decision has been made.

“Now that the decision has been made, maybe it is still his decision to come back, but I don’t think so. If you ask me personally, then no. A player of that stature also has his own ego. You are talking about Virat Kohli. You compare him with Sachin and then think that he will retire and come back. Retirement is neither your decision nor mine; he took that decision himself. Since he has taken it himself, he is responsible for it,” Munaf said.

Apart from Tests, Kohli has also retired from T20 internationals but continues to represent India in ODIs.

During the same interaction, Munaf emphasized that Kohli has already achieved everything possible in Test cricket, making a return improbable. “What is the calculation of ten thousand runs, sir? When you look at what he has achieved, he has played 100 Test matches, captained the country, won series in places where we had never won before, and achieved everything. What else is left? So it can be his decision, taken according to his own thinking. Coming back now seems difficult. I don’t think it will happen. It is difficult,” he added.

Kohli remains India’s most successful Test captain. He led the team in 68 matches, winning 40, losing 17, and drawing 11.