With each passing day, the realisation that Virat Kohli has retired from Test cricket continues to hit hard. And just imagine how tough it’ll be when, at the fall of India’s second wicket in the first Test against England in Headingley starting June 20, No. 18 Virat Kohli no longer walks out to bat. Irrespective of who it is – comeback man Karun Nair or India’s newly-appointed captain Shubman Gill, no Virat Kohli at No. 4 promises to be a tough pill to swallow.
Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket last month, sending shockwaves through the world of cricket. The veteran batter’s retirement came shortly after his skipper Rohit Sharma had made a similar decision, and just ahead of the BCCI’s squad announcement for the five-match England series.
Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing the curtain down on a career that spanned 14 years and included 123 Tests – 68 of them as captain – in which he scored 9230 runs at an average of 46.85. Virat Kohli had communicated his desire to retire from Test cricket to the BCCI ahead of the big five-match series in England starting June 20, for which he was expected to be part of the squad. It was learnt at the time that Kohli had been having conversations on the matter with officials of the BCCI for the past month or so.
Shubman Gill’s elevation to Test captaincy marks the beginning of a new era in Indian cricket, coming in the wake of Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format. Alongside Rohit Sharma , who had led India since February 2022, fellow stalwarts Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin have also bid farewell to Tests since the start of India’s last Test series.
Taking from where Rohit Sharma left following his recent retirement announcement from India’s test cricket, the Men in White will now be led by Shubman Gill. BCCI named the 25-year-old young talent as India’s new Test cricket captain. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been selected as vice-captain for the upcoming five-match Test series against England.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirement gives BCCI a chance to experiment.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma shocked the entire cricketing fraternity by announcing their Test retirements just a few weeks before India travels to England for a five-match Test series. Two stalwarts of Indian cricket, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have redefined the game for the new generation, walking away at such a crucial time raises questions and also about the direction in which the national cricket team is heading. Gautam Gambhir will now have to take many important calls that will decide India’s future in World Test Championship 2027.
Rohit Sharma drew the curtain on his Test career on May 7 after turning out for India in 67 matches. He made his debut in whites against the West Indies in November 2013 and went on to score 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, compiling 12 hundreds and 18 fifties along the way.
A few days later Kohli also chose to bring his Test career to a close, putting an end to a remarkable 14-year era that spanned 123 matches. During his tenure, Kohli played a pivotal role in turning India into a dominant force in Test cricket. Across his 14-year Test career, Virat amassed 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85 — a tally that includes 30 hundreds and 31 fifties — and leaves him as India’s fourth-leading scorer in the format.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Head Coach Gautam Gambhir, and Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar are trying to take a road that has never been explored in the history of Indian cricket.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have retired from the Test format and the T20I format, will continue to play ODI cricket. The Indian T20I team looks like a settled unit under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav. Just like the Test team, the T20I team is a good mix of youth and experience.
As far as the ODI team is concerned, Rohit Sharma will continue to lead India, maybe till the 2027 ODI World Cup. Now, all eyes will be on India’s Test setup and the team that they choose to send to England. The untimely retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma drew flak as forrmer India cricketer Yograj Singh criticised the timing of their decision.
The major retirements pushed India into a period of transition with limited preparation, as Shubman Gill, still looking to establish himself as a dependable red-ball player — was appointed the new Test captain. The Indian team will kickstart the next World Test Championship with the five-match Test series against England right after the retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma shouldn’t have retired from Tests- Yograj Singh
Former India cricketer Yograj Singh has questioned star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma over the timing of their retirements from Test cricket. Both Kohli and Rohit retired from the format last month, days before India’s squad was announced for the upcoming five-match Test series against England.
While Rohit’s retirement was more or less expected, Virat Kohli’s announcement came as a big shock to many. During a recent interaction, Yograj, father of former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, insisted both Virat Kohli and Rohit had five years of Test cricket left in them.
“Virat and Rohit shouldn’t have retired from Tests. I told Rohit to get up at 5 AM and run for 20 km to keep himself fit. Virat and Rohit can still play for another 5 years in Test cricket. They should have played,” Yograj told Inside Edge
Yograj Singh fumed over the fact that Kohli and Rohit did not hand over the baton to the youngsters.
“They should be there to see that the baton is passed to the youngsters, just like Sourav Ganguly did. The baton has not been passed, it has been thrown to Gill,” he added.
Yograj also opened up on Yuvraj’s retirement, revealing that his son also took a hasty decision instead of following his advice.
“Even when Yuvraj was retiring I promised him that I will help him become India captain and that we will throw everybody out but he quit,” Yograj revealed.
The Test tour of England will also be right-handed batter Shubman Gill’s first assignment as the captain of the Indian team, following the retirement of Rohit Sharma last month. At 25 years and 258 days, Gill will also become the fifth-youngest cricketer to captain India in Tests. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will be India’s vice-captain on the all-important Test series, which runs from June 20 to August 4. India and England will also play matches at Edgbaston in Birmingham, Lord’s in London, Old Trafford in Manchester and The Oval in London.
India are aiming to win a Test series in England for the first time since 2007. The Test series in England will also be India’s first assignment in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.
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