Follow Us;Resize=(820,462) "Virat Kohli")
Reports suggest Virat Kohli has expressed his desire to retire from Test cricket, causing concern among fans and the cricketing fraternity. Many former players have urged him to reconsider, emphasizing his importance to the Indian team.
The entire cricket fraternity came out in unison to urge Team India star batter Virat Kohli to refrain from calling it quits from Test cricket ahead of the England tour, which is scheduled to take place on June 20.
The reports emerged that Virat Kohli had communicated to the BCCI about his willingness to retire from the longest format of the game before the crucial England Test tour. The veteran Indian batter’s decision came just a few days after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket following his removal as a captain in the format. However, the board has urged Kohli to consider his decision to retire from red-ball cricket, as India are aiming for the Test series win on England soil for the first time since 2007.
Related Articles
If Virat Kohli follows Rohit Sharma’s footsteps of retiring from Test cricket, India’s batting line-up would look weak, with KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Shubman Gill being the only batters with considerable experience of playing in overseas conditions, making it vulnerable .to England’s potent pace attack and swing-friendly conditions.
Cricket fraternity makes special request to Virat Kohli
Amid the reports of Virat Kohli’s Test retirement, cricket fraternity made a special request to the ace batter. The former cricketers including the likes of Brain Lara, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Ambati Rayudu, S Badrinath, Michael Clarke, and others urged Kohli to extend his stay in Test cricket.
Ex-West Indies skipper Lara took to his Instagram handle and wrote, “Test cricket needs Virat!! He is going to be persuaded. He is NOT going to retire from Test cricket. @virat.kohli is going to average above 60 for the remainder of his Test career,”
Former India opener Navjot Singh Sidhu believes that the timing of Virat Kohli’s Test retirement is not suited, given the tough conditions in England and also batting core would look weak.
“Virat Kohli’s decision — that he wants to retire — has created a stir across the cricketing world. His intention is right, his motive is noble — that "the old order must change, yielding place to the new."
“But the timing and occasion are not appropriate, because the pride and prestige of India are on the line," Sidhu said.
Ambati Rayudu took to his X handle and wrote, “Virat Kohli please don’t retire.. The Indian team needs you more than ever. You have so much more in the tank. Test cricket will not be the same without you walking out to battle it out for Team India.. Please reconsider.”
Former CSK batter S Badrinath stated that Kohli’s presence is essential for the England Test tour to groom the young cricketers around him.
“Indian cricket needs Virat Kohli, especially in the red-ball format, to help groom a young team around him. Looking forward to seeing him against England next month.” Bardinath wrote on X.
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes that rumours of Virat Kohli’s Test retirement is untrue, adding that the ace batter has ability to score more runs in the format.
"I hope the rumours aren't true. I believe Virat still has a lot of Test runs in him and any team with him in it is a better team," Clarke told RevSportz.
Virat Kohli’s last Test appearance came in the Sydney Test, where he scored 17 and 6 in both innings. After scoring a century in the opening Test in Perth, the 36-year-old failed to maintain consistency as he could aggregate 190 runs, including a century, at an average of 23.75 in nine innings.
Influential Indian cricketer to convince Virat Kohli
After Virat Kohli communicated to the BCCI about his desire to move on from Test cricket, the board has reportedly planned to bring in an influential and respected Indian cricketer in order to persuade Kohli to continue playing cricket.
However, the BCCI did not reveal the player who would take to the former India captain, but many assumed that it could be either MS Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar as both legendary figures share a close bond with Virat Kohli and hold immense influence and respect in Indian cricket circles.
Virat Kohli made his Test debut for India against West Indies in 2011 and went on to establish himself as one of the greatest batters for India in the longest format of the game. Kohli is the fourth leading run-getter for India in red-ball cricket, amassing 9230 runs, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties, at an average of 46.85 in 123 matches.
Virat Kohli had led Team India in Tests from 2011 until relinquishing his captaincy duties after Test series defeat against South Africa in 2022. Kohli is the most successful Indian captain with 40 wins in 68 and has a win percentage of 58.82.
