Virat Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket before the England visit next month has drawn criticism from former Indian batsman Mohammad Kaif. Beginning on June 20, Team India will play five Test matches in England.
According to recent reports, Kohli has expressed his desire to retire from Test cricket to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The board has requested that he reevaluate his decision to retire, and Indian supporters are eagerly awaiting Kohli’s response.
Over the past six months, the 36-year-old has struggled in Test cricket, averaging less than 23 in his last ten games. Despite the stats, Kohli’s comparable dismissal behaviours in India’s most recent series in Australia—nicking balls on the fourth stump—raised serious worries.
On his X Twitter, Kaif discussed the rumored retirement of Kohli and questioned whether the senior batsman was retiring more because he was powerless to address his off-stump problems.
“Virat Kohli, India’s Babbar Sher wants to relax. He is thinking about retirement. I think he should go to England, prove his point and end his career on a high note. Because of the work he did in the T20 World Cup, he should end his career on a good note. Is he thinking about retirement out of helplessness? Because there is one kind of delivery that has been troubling him for many years. The ball bowled outside the off stump,” he said (via Hindustan Times).
Kaif continued:
“When the ball was bowled in the fourth-stump channel, he got out many times. It was such a trouble that he couldn’t get over it. In his career, he went to England and got out there. In Australia, he got out here. At home, against New Zealand, he got out to spin. He tried a lot.”
Mohammad Kaif
The captain Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the red-ball format a few days prior to the rumors that Kohli would retire from Test cricket. Over the past ten years, the pair has arguably been the mainstays of India’s Test batting order.
“His effort was 200 per cent” – Mohammad Kaif
Mohammad Kaif says Virat Kohli did his hardest to eliminate his outside off-stump issues in Australia, despite the disappointing results. In the first Test match at Perth, the seasoned batter opened the tour with a spectacular century.
He finished with an average of 23.75 across the five Tests, although he faded away in the remainder of the series.
“He tried very hard. His effort was 200 per cent. He always comes to play every match. But it didn’t happen. I saw for the first time that Virat Kohli was out of form after scoring 100 in Australia. This has never happened. He scores in every match if he gets a century in the series opener. He keeps scoring. You won’t be able to dismiss him. He has been such a hero of India,” said Kaif (via aforementioned source).
Kohli will finish with 9,230 runs in 123 games, just short of the elusive 10,000-run milestone, if he decides to retire from Test cricket.
