Virat Kohli still had plenty to offer in Test cricket and should have played on longer, reckoned former India wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani, who lauded the star batter’s temperament in a glowing tribute. Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, drawing the curtain on a stellar red-ball career. He represented India in 123 Tests, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. “He still had a lot of cricket left in him,” Kirmani, a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, told PTI Videos.
“Everybody has to retire, but he should have played a bit more. However, I respect his decision. I wish him luck for future.” Kohli led India to 40 wins in 68 Tests — the most by any Indian skipper to date.
Kirmani lauded Kohli not just for his accomplishments on the field but also for the inspiration he provided to the next generation of cricketers.
“Virat brought consistency to the game, which made him different. He is a source of inspiration and motivation to youngsters who aspire to represent the nation, his adaptability and temperament is commendable. He is phenomenal and iconic,” he said.
Speculation about Kohli’s future in the format had intensified after the tour of Australia earlier this year.
“I don’t feel he is after records. It might be the excess of cricket that led to this. Records don’t matter to him. I don’t think he had any sort of pressure on him while making this decision,” Kirmani said.
“Questions like why he’s retiring, or whether he’s out of form or under pressure, don’t make any sense. It’s a player’s individual decision.”
Kohli’s departure adds to a growing list of senior Indian players stepping away from Test cricket, following Ravichandran Ashwin in December and Rohit Sharma last week.
On the trend of players announcing retirements via social media, Kirmani said: “There is nothing wrong in that, there are press conferences, there is so much of artificial intelligence, players announcing on their Instagram so that it is globally known, so in a way it helps.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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