Virat Kohli hung up his boots from Test cricket in May 2025.
Chasing 193, India were bowled out for 170 in the final session on Day 5. With the last recognised batter in KL Rahul dismissed at 81/6, veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (61*) stood firmly with the tail, dragging India within touching distance of victory.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj displayed admirable grit, but England bowlers eventually prevailed in closing out the game.
After the Lord’s defeat, former India cricketer Madan Lal urged batting stalwart Virat Kohli to take back his retirement from Test cricket.
Notably, Kohli hung up his boots from Test cricket in May 2025, weeks before the selection of India’s squad for the England tour.
"Virat Kohli’s passion for Indian cricket was unmatched. It’s my wish that he should come back to Test cricket after retirement. There’s nothing wrong with returning. If not in this series, he should make a comeback in the next,” Madan said while speaking to CricketPredicta.
"From my point of view, he should reverse his retirement. Because he can easily play for 1-2 years. It’s about you passing your experience to the youngsters. You just left it. It’s not too late. Please come back," he added.
Virat Kohli played an instrumental role in India's red-ball resurgence over the past decade with his aggressive captaincy, prolific batting and unmatched intensity on the field.
Under his captaincy, India were competitive everywhere and registered their maiden Test series triumph on Australian soil in 2018-19.
Overall, Kohli led his country in 68 Test matches and suffered defeat in only 17 of them. With 40 wins and 11 draws, he boasts a remarkable win percentage of 58.82, making him the most successful Test captain in India's history.
The 36-year-old finished his Test career with 9230 runs from 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties, with the highest score of 254.
Having retired from T20Is last year, Virat Kohli will now focus solely on the One-Day International format.