Kohli’s decision before England tour increased Team India’s concern, know the full news
Virat Kohli wants to retire from Test Cricket
Former Indian cricket team captain and legendary batsman Virat Kohli has expressed his desire to retire from Test cricket to the BCCI. According to sources, Kohli has taken this decision before the five-match Test series against England starting on June 20. However, the team management and selectors are considering his experience important for the England tour, where India will play with a new captain (led by Shubhman Gill).
Will the glorious journey of 14 years come to an end?
If Kohli sticks to his decision, it will be the end of his 14-year Test career. Kohli, who scored 9230 runs (average 46.85) in 123 Test matches, captained the team in 68 matches and led to 40 victories, which is the record of India’s most successful Test captain. However, his performance in the last two years has been worrying an average of just 32.56 and a 16-month wait to reach a century (100*) in the Perth Test in November 2024.
Virat Kohli Most Runs As Test Captain
| POSITION | PLAYER | CAPTAIN | MATCHES | RUNS | AVERAGE | 100s | WINS |
| 1. | Graeme Smith | South Africa | 109 | 8659 | 47.84 | 25 | 53 |
| 2. | Allan Border | Australia | 93 | 6623 | 50.95 | 15 | 32 |
| 3. | Ricky Ponting | Australia | 77 | 6542 | 51.51 | 19 | 48 |
| 4. | Virat Kohli | India | 68 | 5864 | 54.80 | 20 | 40 |
| 5. | Clive Lloyd | West Indies | 74 | 5233 | 51.30 | 14 | 36 |
Team management’s expectations, but Kohli’s mind
According to sources, Kohli’s dialogue with the BCCI has been going on for the last one month. The team management hopes that Kohli’s experience on the challenging pitches of England will prove to be a guide for the young team. Especially, when senior players like Rohit Sharma, R. Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane are out of the team. Under the captaincy of Shubman Gill, this team will play a Test match without Rohit-Kohli for the first time.
BCCI contracts and format confusion
The BCCI recently placed Kohli and Rohit in the ‘A+’ grade, which is for players playing all three formats. But, if Kohli retires from Tests, he will be limited to ODI cricket only. This situation is also challenging for the BCCI, as there will be no seniors left in the team apart from KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah.
England tour: Kohli’s fond memories
The 2018 tour of England was the golden phase of Kohli’s career. He scored 583 runs in 5 Tests and scored two centuries for India. This performance was even more special at that time, as he managed just 134 runs on the 2014 tour. From 2016 to 2019, Kohli dominated Test cricket—1322 runs in 2018 and 3596 runs in 35 matches between 2016-2018 at an average of 66.59.
Captaincy legacy: Ahead of Dhoni-Ganguly
Kohli set a record of 40 Test wins in captaincy, surpassing MS Dhoni (27 wins) and Sourav Ganguly (21 wins). Globally, he is fourth behind Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48), and Steve Waugh (41).
Most Successful Test Captain In India
| CAPTAIN | MATCH | WON | LOST | DRAW/TIE | WIN % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 48 | 28 | 10 | 10 | 58.33 |
| MS Dhoni | 60 | 27 | 18 | 15 | 45.00 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 49 | 21 | 13 | 15 | 42.86 |
| Mohd Azharuddin | 47 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 29.79 |
| MAK Pataudi | 40 | 9 | 19 | 12 | 22.50 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | 47 | 9 | 8 | 30 | 19.15 |
| Rahul Dravid | 25 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 32.00 |
| Bishan Bedi | 22 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 27.27 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 25 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 16.00 |
| Kapil Dev | 34 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 11.76 |
Most Successful Test Captain
| POSITION | CAPTAIN | COUNTRY | MATCHES | WINS | LOSSES | DRAW |
| 1. | Graeme Smith | South Africa/ICC | 109 | 53 | 29 | 27 |
| 2. | Ricky Ponting | Australia | 77 | 48 | 16 | 13 |
| 3. | Steve Waugh | Australia | 57 | 41 | 9 | 7 |
| 4. | Virat Kohli | India | 68 | 40 | 17 | 11 |
| 5. | Clive Lloyd | West Indies | 74 | 36 | 12 | 26 |
Conclusion:
Virat Kohli wants to retire from Test cricket’s decision is an emotional blow not just for Indian cricket but for fans around the world. However, Team India is hopeful that he will change his mind by the time of the England tour. Kohli’s departure will be a challenge for the new generation as well as an opportunity to take over the legacy. For now, all eyes are on BCCI and Kohli’s next move.
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