On May 12, former India captain and batting stalwart Virat Kohli shocked the cricketing fraternity by announcing his retirement from the longest format.
Earlier today, while announcing the squad for the upcoming India tour of England in late June, chief selector Ajit Agarkar opened up on when Virat had revealed his intention to retire from Tests.
Speaking at the press conference, Agarkar said, “Virat reached out early April and said he wants to finish. We’ve seen him give 200% to every ball that he plays, even when he is not batting or he’s in the field. He probably felt that he had given everything that he had and if he can’t keep up to the standards that he set for himself over the years, and how good he has been, and maybe it was time for him. It has come from him. You’ve got to respect that.”
Last year, after the T20 World Cup 2024, Virat also called it quits in the shortest format and is currently only active in ODIs.
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Apart from Kohli, Rohit Sharma had also hung up his boots in Test cricket. While Agarkar did not elaborate on the discussions surrounding Rohit’s decision, which was announced five days prior to Kohli’s, he acknowledged that the Test team was entering a phase of “big transition”.
India’s upcoming five-Test series in England beginning June 20, will thus feature a relatively inexperienced batting lineup. Among the squad members, only Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul have previous Test experience in English conditions.
Given the changes, Agarkar emphasised the need to focus on the future. With senior players moving on, he highlighted the importance of nurturing younger talent and building a strong squad for the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. India is yet to win a WTC title after suffering two final losses and failing to make it to the summit clash for the current cycle.
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