Virat Kohli introduced his retirement from Take a look at cricket final week, drawing the curtain on a storied profession that spanned 123 matches and yielded 9,230 runs at a median of 46.85. His determination, which comes forward of India’s five-Take a look at tour of England starting June 20, follows intently on the heels of Rohit Sharma’s exit from the longest format.
Solely Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar have scored extra Take a look at runs for India. As captain, Kohli not solely redefined aggression but in addition made historical past, racking up 20 centuries — greater than some other Indian skipper.
In Sportstar’s cowl story, former India coach Ravi Shastri paid tribute to Kohli’s influence. “Undoubtedly probably the most scrutinised batsman in world cricket, he was additionally the perfect ready to combat within the center,” Shastri wrote. “His making folks watch Take a look at cricket will likely be a permanent legacy.”
Identified for his depth, Kohli introduced theatre to the sphere — celebrating wickets with unfiltered emotion and elevating his companions’ milestones with seen pleasure. His absence will go away a vacuum—not simply of runs, however of presence.
Whereas he stays accessible for ODIs, Shastri hinted that Kohli’s departure from the sport could also be whole as soon as he’s carried out enjoying. “He’s not the type who want to coach or tackle the position of a broadcaster.”
With Kohli stepping away, Indian cricket loses considered one of its fiercest rivals—one who, in Shastri’s phrases, “by no means conceded an inch.”
Learn the total column right here – Shastri on Kohli