A significant turn of events for the Indian cricketing fraternity, former Indian captain Virat Kohli, it has been reported, has given the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) the news of his desire to call it a day from Test cricket prior to the arrival of the England tour, which would kick off on 20 June. News agency sources report Kohli communicated his decision to the board a few days ago, indicating that he is not likely to be a part of the five-match Test against England.
This future exit from the biggest format of the game occurs at a very critical time for Indian cricket. The England series will be the start of the new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship, and Kohli’s absence would leave a big gap in India’s batting lineup. The Test squad should be finalised by the end of May, according to BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
It comes on the heels of skipper Rohit Sharma’s sudden retirement from Test cricket. Both stalwarts had quit after India’s glorious T20 World Cup tournament at Barbados in 2024 from T20 Internationals. When both Rohit and Kohli are forced to take leave of the field, the team will now have to depend on the formidable young guns like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and KL Rahul to run the batting department.
A top BCCI official has, allegedly, had a chat with Kohli to persuade him to think again. Nevertheless, the decline in the form of the 35-year-old may be affecting his choice in the 2024–25 season. In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Kohli claimed only 190 runs in five Tests but had a century in the first one at Perth.
With 123 Tests and 30 centuries to his name, Virat Kohli is one of the best-decorated Test cricketers of the Indian era.
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