Kohli announced his Test retirement today.
Rajkumar Sharma, the childhood coach of Virat Kohli, has predicted that the former India captain will finish his star-studded career on a high, by winning the title in the ODI World Cup 2027. He also applauded Kohli for his unmatched contribution to Indian cricket and for setting up a path for the youngsters.
“I salute him for his tremendous contribution to Indian Cricket and as a coach, I am proud of him for what he has done for the country and the example he has set for the youngsters,” said Rajkumar to ANI.
Kohli’s coach also backed him to win the ICC Men’s World Cup 2027, to be hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, before signing off from cricket. Previously, he won the home CWC title back in 2011.
“Emotionally, it hurts that we won’t be seeing him in whites again for the country. I appreciate and back his decision. Hopefully, he will be there to win the ODI World Cup for India and he will be 100 per cent committed to it,” he stated.
He also came agonisingly close to winning the second time in 2023, hosted in India. Unfortunately, the Men in Blue missed it by a whisker. An unbeaten India squad stumbled in the final as Australia beat them by six wickets in Ahmedabad.
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However, Kohli was awarded the Player of the Series for scoring the highest runs in that tournament. His marvellous 765 runs in 11 matches, including three centuries, will remain etched in history.
The stalwart had faced a recent decline in his form in the red-ball format. In his last eight Test matches, during the home series against New Zealand and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Kohli managed to put up two fifty-plus scores. He was dismissed for a single-digit score in nine out of his last 15 innings.
Despite his recent rough patches, Kohli will forever be remembered as one of the greatest players and captains of this era. He has played 123 Test matches and notched up a mammoth 9,230 runs with 30 centuries. With seven double centuries to his name, Kohli holds the record for the most double centuries in Tests for India.
He is also the only batter to notch up four double-centuries in four consecutive series. He achieved the extraordinary feat in the series against the West Indies, New Zealand, England, and Bangladesh in 2016-17. Following his retirement from the T20Is and Test, he is set to represent India only in the 50-over format.
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