Virat Kohli’s ‘Helpless’ Test Exit Sparks U-turn Calls as Kaif Urges England Series Return
Mohammad Kaif urges Virat Kohli to delay Test retirement and play the England series to end his career on a high
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has made an emotional appeal to Virat Kohli, urging the Indian batting legend not to retire from Test cricket just yet. Kohli, reportedly firm on his decision to step away from the red-ball format, has informed the BCCI, though the board continues to engage with him in hopes of a change of heart.
“Virat Kohli, India’s Babbar Sher wants to relax. He is thinking about retirement. I think he should go to England, prove his point and end his career on a high note. Because of the work he did in the T20 World Cup, he should end his career on a good note. Is he thinking about retirement out of helplessness? Because there is one kind of delivery that has been troubling him for many years. The ball bowled outside the off stump,” Kaif said in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter).
“When the ball was bowled in the fourth-stump channel, he got out many times. It was such a trouble that he couldn’t get over it. In his career, he went to England and got out there. In Australia, he got out here. At home, against New Zealand, he got out to spin. He tried a lot,” he added.
Kaif believes that the upcoming England series starting June 20 presents a perfect opportunity for Kohli to bow out on a high. Kohli, India’s most successful Test captain and one of the country’s finest red-ball batters, has had a lean patch in recent years.
“He tried very hard. His effort was 200 per cent. He always comes to play every match. But it didn’t happen. I saw for the first time that Virat Kohli was out of form after scoring 100 in Australia. This has never happened,” said Kaif.
He has scored just four Test centuries in the last five years and struggled during the Australia tour, with all eight of his dismissals coming while chasing balls outside the off stump—his long-noted Achilles’ heel.
Despite the downturn in form, Kaif emphasized Kohli’s immense contributions, pointing out his over 9,000 Test runs and leadership across 68 matches.
The 35-year-old’s potential farewell is also raising concerns about leadership and batting depth, especially following Rohit Sharma’s and R. Ashwin’s retirements from Test cricket. With Shubman Gill poised to take over as captain, Kohli’s experience could be invaluable in the transitional phase.
Whether Kohli reconsiders remains uncertain, but Kaif’s message echoes the sentiments of millions of fans hoping to see the stalwart grace the Test arena one last time.
