Kohli was short of just 770 runs from completing 10K Test runs.
On May 12, Virat Kohli shook the nation with the announcement of his Test retirement. Soon, cricketers around the world flooded with anecdotes and tributes to his legacy-filled career. One such unique message came from Australia’s legendary and former Indian head coach Greg Chappell.
Greg Chappell said that Virat Kohli rightly carried forward the legacy of Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni when he became India’s Test captain. Although Chappell had a well-known disagreement with Ganguly during their time together in the mid-2000s, he still praised both Ganguly and Dhoni for building a strong Indian team in Test cricket. Chappell added that, under Kohli’s captaincy, India was expected to win even in challenging overseas conditions.
He said, “There was a time when Indian cricket, particularly overseas, bore an air of respectful submission – playing with technical skill, yes, but often with psychological inferiority. That changed in stages. Sourav Ganguly gave Indian cricket a new spine. MS Dhoni brought ice-cold leadership and white-ball dominance. But Kohli? Kohli lit the fire. He tore the script and authored a new one, where India was not just competitive abroad but expected to win.”
Chappell continued to highlight Kohli’s fearless approach, which inspired the rest of his team. He never let loose, especially not in front of his opponents. This is why the quality of cricket was always intense with Kohli on the field. He also upheld his fitness and passion for the game.
He added, “He was the most Australian non-Australian cricketer we’ve ever seen – a snarling warrior in whites, never giving an inch, always demanding more. Not just of his bowlers, his fielders or his opposition, but first and foremost, of himself.”
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Less than a week ago, on May 7, India skipper Rohit Sharma had also announced his retirement from Test cricket. This has left a void in the batting line-up as well as the captaincy role. Rohit’s opening position will be utilised by KL Rahul. Kohli’s No.4 position can be replaced by Devdutt Padikkal or Dhruv Jurel, among many other options to choose from. However, the captaincy spot will be difficult to fill.
As per reports, it seems that BCCI may have zeroed in on Shubman Gill. The Punjab batter recently held talks with India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar to discuss the roadmap.
Notably, Jasprit Bumrah, senior pacer, has opted out of the captaincy options as part of his load management program. India’s all-important test assignment of the England tour will begin on June 20.
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