Virat Kohli dismissed speculations of his Test comeback after the Ranchi ODI.
India’s star batter Virat Kohli slammed a match-winning hundred in the first ODI against South Africa at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi on Sunday (November 30).
Ever since his Test retirement, speculations are rife about Kohli’s ODI future and whether there's enough fuel in his tank to continue through the grind until the 2027 World Cup. However, the 37-year-old silenced his critics with a breathtaking knock of 135 runs in 120 balls, including 11 fours and 7 sixes.
As Kohli took the Proteas bowling attack to cleaners in Ranchi, the internet was abuzz with reports of the former skipper being asked to come out of Test retirement. The murmurs gained momentum following India's 2-0 whitewash in the recent home Test series against South Africa.
After receiving the Player-of-the-Match award in Ranchi, Virat Kohli was asked by veteran commentator and broadcaster Harsha Bhogle if he is going to play just one form of the game in the future too.
In reply, the batting stalwart replied, “Yes, and that’s how it’s always going to be. I’m just playing one form of the game," thus dismissing all sorts of speculations.
Kohli’s response went viral on social media. In fact, a netizen reckoned Harsha had caught Kohli off guard with that question. But the broadcaster clarified on 'X' that he had already checked with the former India captain before asking him about Test comeback in the presentation ceremony.
“Felt you slightly caught him off guard with that “you’ll only play single format” comment. But overall enjoyed the conversation,” wrote a social media user.
Bhogle replied: “I had asked him before if he would be comfortable if I slipped that in..…”
Earlier, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia put the rumours to rest, citing that no such conversation has taken place with Kohli, and one shouldn't pay heed to such baseless reports.
“What’s being said about Virat Kohli is just a rumour. There has been no conversation with Kohli about this. Do not give weight to rumours. Nothing of that sort has happened,” Saikia told Aaj Tak.
Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket in May this year. He 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.
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.
As a batter, Kohli ended his Test career with 9230 runs from 123 matches at an average of 46.85. He hit 30 centuries and 31 fifties in total, with the highest score of 254 to his name.