The national selectors ought to have convinced Virat Kohli to postpone his retirement from Test cricket until after the most recent five-match series in England, according to former India captain and ex-chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar.
Days before the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy began, Kohli declared his intention to retire from Test cricket, after Rohit Sharma’s announcement of his own retirement. In their absence, India had a new leadership group led by Shubman Gill, who led the team to a 2-2 draw and showed promise as captain and batter.
According to Vengsarkar, who was top selector from 2006 to 2008, Kohli’s experience might have been very important in the series. “If I were the Indian chief selector, I would have persuaded Virat to bid goodbye to Test cricket after playing the England series. We needed his class and experience in this series,” Vengsarkar told The Times of India.
In England, Kohli has had a mixed record. In 2018, following a lackluster 2014 debut tour, he rebounded with 655 runs as captain. The 2021–22 tour, which included the World Test Championship final, was difficult for him, though. He has amassed 1,096 runs at an average of 33.21 in 17 Test matches played in England.
Almost a month after his shock announcement, Kohli finally spoke about his decision to retire from Test cricket during a charity event for former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s foundation, YouWeCan. Explaining his choice, he said: “I just coloured my beard two days ago. You know it’s time when you are colouring your beard every four days.”
Neither Kohli nor Rohit has featured in competitive cricket since the 2025 IPL. With India’s next ODI assignments only at year’s end in Australia and South Africa, their prolonged absence has fuelled fresh speculation over their international futures.
After Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar, Kohli finished fourth on India’s all-time list with 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85. He led in 68 Test matches, winning 40, the most of any Indian captain and the fourth-most in history.
After a three-match ODI series against Australia in October, he is anticipated to play in a home series against South Africa.
