South Africa national cricket team’s great batsman AB de Villiers has issued a big warning to India national cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
AB de Villiers has warned Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir against forcing Virat Kohli to retire from international cricket, saying the great modern-day batsman deserves to retire on his own terms.
We all know how special it would be for Virat to lift the World Cup – AB de Villiers
Virat Kohli is set to make a comeback to international cricket in the opening match of the ODI series between India and Australia in Perth on Sunday, October 19. This will be the first time after March 2025 that Kohli will be seen in action.
Kohli has trained very hard for his comeback and looked exceptional in India’s first net session. Recently, he also shut down rumors of his ODI retirement with a cryptic post on Instagram.
Furthermore, several reports have suggested that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is keeping Virat Kohli largely in the planning for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.
In a recent conversation, AB de Villiers said that Virat Kohli’s main focus at the moment is on winning the World Cup in South Africa in 2027 with Rohit Sharma.
“He is at a place now where he has to compartmentalize and prioritize what is important to him as a player. The 2027 World Cup comes to mind,” de Villiers told HT in an interview on the sidelines of promoting ‘Test Twenty’, a new format in cricket for young talents aged 13-19.
“We all know how special it would be for Virat to win the World Cup with Rohit and some of his friends. I think all his focus is on that right now.”
He has served the country a lot by performing brilliantly in the last few years – AB de Villiers
Talking about Kohli walking away from the two international formats, AB de Villiers speculated that workload management and priority of being with his young family might have prompted him to take such a decision.
“He’s not 20 anymore. He’s served the country for many, many years with great performances. I think it was workload management to some extent. Also, obviously, I think mental fatigue may have played a role in it as well. He’s got a family now. So, there’s a lot of things to consider. He’s made up his mind. I’m just happy for him that he’s still enjoying it and he’s got a chance to play competitively, hopefully.” For some years to come.”
AB de Villiers also said that Virat Kohli’s weakness outside the off-stump has been there for a long time, but he has managed it very well.
“That’s the beauty of the game. Every few years a new generation of players comes up and they come with completely new skills. I think bowling has got a little bit better and Virat has got different challenges to face,” he said.
I think a player like Virat has earned the right to do what he likes best – Virat Kohli
Speculation has intensified regarding Virat Kohli’s future in ODI cricket, but AB de Villiers has strictly told the BCCI that the right-handed batsman should be left alone to take decisions and should not be forced to retire.
The South African player said, “I don’t think any player, especially a player of Virat’s caliber, should be put in a corner where they feel they have to take a decision. This decision (retirement) is almost a natural process.”
“I have gone through exactly such a phase in my career, where I felt the pressure to pick and choose. But it should never come to that. A player knows his body, his mind and the mental state he finds himself in at the end of his career. I think a player like Virat has earned the right to do what he feels is best for him and his country.”
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