Speculations are rife that Virat Kohli might make a big decision to announce his retirement from Test cricket as the BCCI is planning to announce the squad for the England tour in the coming days. Kohli, who is going through a lean patch, has reportedly told the BCCI that he is done playing red-ball cricket for India, but the board has advised him to reconsider his decision.
Meanwhile, according to a report on the Times of India, Kohli had already dropped hints on his retirement during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where the batting maestro struggled after scoring a century in the first Test. The report suggested that he told his teammates ‘I was done’ but not many took it seriously during the tour, as it was an intense series in which India put up a fight until the final Test.
In his illustrious Test career, Kohli has scored 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries so far. His last four-year slump has dropped his average below 50.
The batting maestro scored a century in Perth but ended up scoring only 190 runs in the series. Kohli's persistent vulnerability outside the off-stump – frequently edging deliveries to the slip cordon or wicketkeeper – proved to be his undoing, especially during the BGT. This technical flaw, which has plagued him for the past four years, has now become a major concern for Team India, leaving the management and fans alike wondering if he can rediscover his once-dominant form.
'BCCI and Gautam Gambhir don't want stop-gap solutions'
The report also suggests that Kohli even raised his hand to take over as captain again as the selectors have a big task to announce India’s new Test captain after Rohit Sharma retired. He expressed his desire to lead India as a stop-gap arrangement till the next leader is groomed for for the upcoming WTC cycle. However, head coach Gautam Gambhir and the board don't want a temporary solution and instead are interested in a youngster to take over the charge from the England series.
{{/usCountry}}The report also suggests that Kohli even raised his hand to take over as captain again as the selectors have a big task to announce India’s new Test captain after Rohit Sharma retired. He expressed his desire to lead India as a stop-gap arrangement till the next leader is groomed for for the upcoming WTC cycle. However, head coach Gautam Gambhir and the board don't want a temporary solution and instead are interested in a youngster to take over the charge from the England series.
{{/usCountry}}"A new WTC cycle is starting. Future and continuity has to be kept in mind as far as the team is concerned. Even coach Gautam Gambhir would want a set of players he is likely to work with for an extended period. There can't be any stop-gap solutions for such an important series. The last two Test series haven't been ideal for the team and the England series is very crucial," a source tracking developments told Times of India.
The BCCI wants Kohli's presence for the England tour as they need an experienced campaigner for the big series after Rohit Sharma also announced his retirement this week.
In the 2021 England tour, Virat made 249 runs in five matches at an average of 27.66, with two fifties in nine innings. Virat has played 17 Tests in England, scoring 1,096 runs at an average of 33.21, with two centuries and five fifties in 33 innings and the best score of 149.