He announced his Test retirement on May 12.
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has opined that ex-India captain Virat Kohli did not want to end his Test career so soon. He believes that some “internal talks” with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may have forced him to make the sudden decision.
“I think he wanted to continue in the format. There must have been some internal talks with the BCCI,” he said in an exclusive conversation with IANS.
Since 2020, Kohli’s red-ball form has declined severely. After averaging over 50 for four consecutive years, Kohli averaged below 30 in the last five years.
The 36-year-old regained his form only in 2023 when he averaged 55.91 in Tests. According to Kaif, the board may have pointed out Kohli’s poor form as the reason for not being included in India’s squad for the upcoming Test tour of England.
“The selectors may have cited his form in the past five-six years and told him his spot in the team may no longer be there. We will never find out what happened, it is very difficult to guess what actually took place behind the scenes,” he added.
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Kaif also mentioned how the modern-day great made a Ranji Trophy comeback for Delhi after 13 years in January. Previously, the Delhi coach had also revealed that Kohli wanted to feature in the upcoming red-ball series.
“Given the last-minute decision, having played the Ranji trophy, I definitely think he wanted to come back in the upcoming Tests. The developments in the last few weeks, he may not have gotten the support he thought he would get from BCCI and selectors, which he may not have gotten,” said Kaif.
However, the sudden Test retirement of the star batter Virat Kohli has left the fans heartbroken. He took India to unprecedented heights in Test cricket as a player and as a captain as well.
In 123 Test matches, Kohli notched up a mammoth 9,230 runs, including 30 centuries. He also scored seven double centuries, which is the most in Tests for India.
Moreover, Kohli is the fourth most successful leader in the history of Test cricket. With 40 wins in 68 matches, he is only behind the greats like Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Steve Waugh. He also has a 100% win record in the 11 Tests at home.
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