According to former England spinner Monty Panesar, Virat Kohli "bailed out" of the June five-Test tour of England because he was afraid he would be dropped in the middle of the series if he didn't perform.
Speaking on Sunday, Panesar claimed that rather than deal with that, Kohli must have decided to "call it a day" and give the kids a chance.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that in April, Kohli informed his committee of his intention to retire from Test cricket. He made the announcement post in May, stating that although it wasn't a simple decision, it "felt right" because, in the 14 years since his 2011 debut, he had given the format everything he had.
“I think he was definitely going to play. I think England were expecting, everyone was expecting him to play. I’m surprised he’s kind of like bailed out. But maybe the fact that outside off-stump, he’s just thinking, well, you know, they may have had a word with him. They said, look, if you don’t score well in the first couple of Test matches, don’t expect to play all the five. So, he’sbably thinking, well, I’ll just call it a day and give the youngsters a go,” Panesar told Hindustan Times.
Indeed, the departures of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have made room for a number of players, both experienced and inexperienced. Shubman Gill was named captain, Karun Nair made his first appearance in the senior team in eight years, while Sai Sudharsan received his first Test call-up.
Panesar also said India has a chance of winning the Test series if their middle-order steps up.
“It would depend on how Karun Nair performs; he scored a double-hundred against the England Lions. He and Shubman Gill, that middle-order, how they bat. I think the batters who’ve played county cricket, if they are able to, then transform that same form at the international level, then I think India have got a chance to win," he added.
India's five-Test tour of England in 2025 is set to commence on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds. The second Test will be held at Edgbaston in Birmingham from July 2 to 6, followed by the third Test at Lord's in London from July 10 to 14.
The series then moves to Old Trafford in Manchester for the fourth Test, scheduled from July 23 to 27. The tour concludes with the fifth and final Test at The Oval in London, taking place from July 31 to August 4. This series marks the beginning of the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship cycle for both teams.
