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Virat Kohli's Test retirement will bring 'transition' at right time: 'Last two years, he hasn't done too well...'
Former India pacer Atul Wassan reckons Virat Kohli took a “good call” by retiring from Test cricket ahead of the upcoming England tour.
Former India pacer Atul Wassan reckons Virat Kohli made a “good call” by retiring from Test cricket ahead of the England tour as it will bring the transition at the right time. Earlier this week, the 36-year-old called time on his Test career, having played 123 matches. Kohli's announcement came just days after Rohit Sharma's retirement from Tests. Wassan reckons the duo thought about the current state of the Test team and how a transition is desperately required.
Kohli finished his Test career with 9230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties. The right-handed batter had been enduring a horrid time in the longest format in the last five years as runs were hard to come by.
In the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, Kohli scored 190 runs in nine innings. His numbers would have looked all the more horrible had he not scored a ton in the series opener in Perth.
Kohli kept nicking deliveries bowled outside off-stump and all his eight dismissals happened in a similar fashion.
“Everyone knows about the fitness of Virat Kohli. I think he is fitter than even a 30-year-old. I reckon he has thought about his family, he has two kids now. The bandwidth of Test cricket is not just about the matches. What you do before it and what you do after it also matters. It takes a lot from you. I think he has realised he has nothing more to prove,” Wassan said on OTTplay's ‘Bails and Banter’ show.
“Last two years he hasn't done too well. People don't realise his presence and mentorship in the team are much more than the runs he is scoring. Both Rohit and Kohli realised the more we stay, the more time it will take for transition. Looking at the upcoming England tour, it would have been too much for Kohli for his entire package -- his family, his time and his fitness,” he added.
‘Kohli took a good call but we will miss him’
The former India pacer might have called Kohli's retirement a “good” call but he still thinks the management will miss him as his presence within the dressing room is worth its weight in gold.
Wassan also talked about how Virat Kohli wore his heart on his sleeve and how being aggressive on the field brought out the best in him at all times.
“I think he made a good call. We will miss him. Virat Kohli's presence means a lot, even if he does not score runs,” said Wassan.
“Virat Kohli's aggression has brought a lot more fans to Test cricket. At times, it has been over the top but it brings the fun as well. If he is not aggressive, he would not perform with the bat,” he added.
Kohli has now retired from T20Is and Tests. However, he will continue to represent India in the ODIs. Fans of the superstar are desperate to see him board the flight for the ODI World Cup in 2027.
