Virat Kohli has told the Indian cricket board that he’s planning to retire from Test cricket, but top officials are hoping he’ll reconsider. He’s made his decision known and is ready to move on from Test cricket. The BCCI secretary drops a massive statementCCI is asking him to think it over since the important England tour is on the horizon. He hasn’t responded to their request yet, sources shared with this newspaper.
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Virat Kohli choice follows Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket just days earlier. The selectors for India are set to meet soon to pick the team for the upcoming five-Test series in England next month. It’s understood that Kohli has been thinking about his Test future since the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia earlier this year when he struggled after scoring a century in the first Test.
If he sticks to his decision, India could have a young middle-order lineup alongside KL Rahul, Shubman Gil, and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top, and Rishabh Pant later in the order. The team will also feel the absence of two experienced players who have been key to the Test team for nearly 11 years. Kohli took over as India’s Test captain in December 2014, and Rohit followed in February 2022.
Earlier this week, The Indian Express reported that selectors were looking to bring in a younger captain for the new Test cycle, leading to Rohit’s retirement announcement. Shubman Gill is the top candidate to step in as Test captain, according to sources.
At 36, Kohli has played 123 Tests for India and scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85. His performance has dipped over the past five years, totaling 1,990 runs in 37 matches with three centuries.
