Virat Wanted to Continue in Tests but Lacked Backing from Management, Ex-India Veteran on Kohli Retirement Decision
Kaif says Kohli wanted to continue in Tests but didn’t get enough backing from BCCI or selectors to stay on.
Virat Kohli’s sudden retirement from Test cricket shocked fans across the country. Now, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has suggested that the decision may not have been entirely personal. According to him, Kohli was keen to continue playing but didn’t get the support he expected from the BCCI and selectors.
Kohli announced his retirement from the longest format just days after Rohit Sharma also stepped away from Test cricket. In his career, Kohli played 123 Tests and scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85. He is one of India’s most successful Test batters ever.
Kaif believes something changed behind the scenes.
“I think he wanted to continue in the format. There must have been some internal talks with the BCCI, the selectors may have cited his form in the past 5-6 years and told him his spot in the team may no longer be there. We will never find out what happened, it is very difficult to guess what actually took place behind the scenes,” he said.
Kaif pointed to Kohli playing the Ranji Trophy recently as a sign that he was serious about making a comeback.
“But given the last-minute decision, having played the Ranji Trophy, I definitely think he wanted to come back in the upcoming Tests. The developments in the last few weeks, he may have not gotten the support he thought he will get from BCCI and selectors which he may not have gotten,” Kaif added.
Kohli’s performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year also raised eyebrows. He scored 190 runs in nine innings, with 100 of those coming in one unbeaten knock. The rest of his outings looked shaky.
“In the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, he looked in a hurry to score runs,” Kaif observed. “You have to stay out for hours and grind in Test cricket, which he has done in the past but the constant edging of the ball moving away from him while attempting to drive, made me feel his patience was a bit less.”
While Kaif wasn’t surprised by Rohit’s exit, he admitted Kohli’s decision left him confused.
“It felt he would play for a few years, guiding the youth players. This is a very private decision, he always used to say that it is his favourite format. If you look at any interview of his he always used to ring praises of the Test format,” Kaif said.
