Anxiety triggered Virat Kohli's retirement. He didn't want to get out of rut; England tour would've been tough: Cullinan
Former South Africa batter Daryll Cullinan shares his thoughts on Virat Kohli's retirement, saying the Indian maestro's decision doesn't surprise him.
Virat Kohli, one of the most influential figures in Indian cricket, decided to end his 14-year-long Test career earlier this week when he confirmed his retirement from the format. Rumours swirled about this development for the past two weeks, yet the official announcement still stunned many in the cricketing world. More so because numerous fans and pundits voiced their hope that Kohli would board the flight to the UK for the five-match Test series against England.
The Hindustan Times spoke to former South African batter Daryll Cullinan, who played 70 Tests for the Proteas. The 58-year-old, a long-time admirer of Kohli, has frequently praised the right-hander's artistry at the crease. However, Cullinan noted that Kohli's retirement was not unexpected, given the star's struggles with form in Tests over the past five years.
"His retirement didn't really come as a surprise to me. We've seen in recent times he's battled a bit at Test cricket. And what happens, I believe, as a batsman too, or sportsman or cricketer, is that when you are constantly working on your game and physically staying in shape and mentally dealing with anxiety at Test cricket, you get to a point where you don't want to put in that work to get yourself out of a bad rut or find some form again. You don't feel you want to do it anymore. I think that's as much whether it's injury or a really bad run which ends your career," Cullinan told Hindustan Times.
Kohli, who burst onto the Test scene in 2011 against the West Indies, went on to play 123 matches for India, amassing 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85. During his golden years from 2015 to 2019, when he dominated bowlers with unmatched flair, few could have imagined he'd retire with fewer than 10,000 Test runs. Yet, at 36, Kohli fell 770 runs short of that milestone, concluding his career as India's fourth-highest Test run-scorer, trailing only the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.
However, the last five years of his career told a different story. Kohli managed just four Test centuries in this period, with his final ton coming against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In the recent series Down Under, his old weakness – fishing for deliveries outside the off-stump – resurfaced. Time and again, he nicked balls in the fourth-stump channel, a recurring nightmare that frustrated the former captain.
In his final Test dismissal at Sydney, falling in the same familiar fashion, Kohli's anguish boiled over. He slapped his pad in anger and walked off, a poignant end to a storied Test career.
"I think he probably got to that stage. He has a big life now outside of cricket, and he's playing white ball cricket and probably felt, well, you know, it's time to move on, family and all these things kind of play on your mind. So the thing too is that you don't want to leave when it's too late," added Cullinan.
"And the series in England would have been hard work for him. And he's had his struggles there in the past. And particularly with pace or movement or seeing, he would have had to have really put in the time and the hours to have a good series and to play well. So I think weighing up all the considerations, I think that's why he decided now's the time."
Throughout his Test career, Kohli was often compared to Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson, collectively dubbed cricket's 'Fab Four'. This quartet engaged in a spirited rivalry, each pushing the others to new heights. In the early years, Kohli surged ahead, dominating with a prolific run-scoring spree that left his peers trailing. But, as fate would have it, the Indian superstar concludes his career as the fourth-highest run-scorer among them in Tests.
Virat Kohli rules 'The FAB FOUR'
Despite this, Cullinan believes Kohli remains a towering figure in this elite group. "You cannot deny his desire to embody everything that India’s batting stands for," Cullinan asserts, placing Kohli firmly among the greats in this storied competition.
"I think in terms of the Fab Four, he obviously would go down right up there in terms of all formats of the game as being the best of them. They've all played some brilliant Test cricket. But what has set me apart with Virat Kohli is that he has taken on the responsibility in all forms of cricket, right up front, the captaincy, the whole expectations of India. And he's carried that like someone who's wanted that, who's enjoyed that and wants to be remembered for that. And that is why I have a tremendous amount of respect for him in terms of the players of his generation," said Cullinan.
"I'm not taking anything away from Smith, Root or Williamson. All three are very fine players. But besides thinking about the Fab Four, if I just look at him, what I found incredibly impressive has been his desire to be everything that India's batting is about. In the tough moments, winning games, chasing down big scores, pacing and innings, happily taking on the world on the field. In that regard, I think he stood out as being a tremendous cricketer of any age and time."
