Virat Kohli called time on his illustrious Test career on May 12.
India’s star batter Virat Kohli called time on his illustrious Test career on May 12. He confirmed his retirement through an Instagram post.
Kohli, who made his Test debut in 2011, played a key role in India's red-ball resurgence over the past decade with his aggressive captaincy, prolific batting and unmatched intensity.
The 36-year-old finished his Test career with 9230 runs at an average of 46.85 from 123 matches, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties, with the highest score of 254.
Reacting to Kohli’s retirement, former India head coach Ravi Shastri said he would’ve loved to see the talisman play in the upcoming England tour.
Shastri also suggested that Kohli should’ve been handed the captaincy of the team for the upcoming series and stated that mental fatigue may have forced him to retire from the traditional format.
"I am sure Virat still had two years of Test cricket left in him. I would have loved to see him in England this summer. It would have been a good idea to hand him the captaincy for the tour, but he would know best why he decided to leave. Maybe mental fatigue drove him to decide because he was as fit as any other player in the team. He knew his body best, but the mind would have played the decisive role. I will not rule out burnout as the decisive factor in curtailing his career at a critical phase of Indian cricket," Shastri told Sportstar.
Moreover, Shastri believes Kohli will just walk away from the game once he retires from all three formats and will not even take up coaching and commentary jobs.
"He is still around to serve Indian cricket in ODIs, but I also know that Virat will walk away from the game once he is done playing cricket. He is not the kind who would like to coach or take on the role of a broadcaster. I will miss him when India plays its first Test in England. He was a champion, and that is what I would like to remember – never conceding an inch," Shastri added.
Having retired from T20Is last year, Virat Kohli will now focus solely on the One-Day International format.
India will travel to England for five Test matches next month. The marquee series is slated to get underway on June 20 at Headingley, followed by matches at Lord's (June 28), Trent Bridge (July 6), The Oval (July 14), and Old Trafford (July 24).