Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin still believes that Virat Kohli could have easily played Test cricket with success. Virat Kohli’s formal retirement from Test cricket remains a mystery. Cricket fans wonder why the former India captain suddenly retired from the format.
On his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin claims that he spoke to the batsman on the subject. According to him, he directly told Virat that he can still give a chance to the team in this format.
Should Virat Kohli continue in Test cricket?
At the age of 37, most cricketers reach their peak. The case is not like that for Virat. He is still hungry for runs. Last time, when he played for Team India in ODI, he also scored a century and a half-century against New Zealand. He did the same against South Africa also.
Ahswin also raises questions on the perception of the country. A section of cricket fans starts speculating about the retirement of a cricketer even if he is above 30 years of age, irrespective of his stature.
Ravichandran Ashwin said in one of his YouTube videos, “I have told him directly that he has cricket left in Test cricket. There is some cricket left in Test cricket, but honestly speaking, it is fine. There is a problem with perception in India.”
Will Virat Kohli reconsider his retirement?
The former cricketer further said that Virat was someone who always put the team first more than his personal achievements. He always used to talk about the team in press conferences. It will not be easy for him to take a U-turn and return to this format. Ashwin feels that it will not be easy for this batsman to reconsider his Test retirement.
“He has retired, I mean look at it from Virat’s value and Virat’s philosophy also, he always put the team first. Even in the press conference he always said that the team is very important, we have to win.”
He further said in the video, “He has said all this. And for him to say OK, I have retired, I want to come back, it is not an easy decision for him to take, but I definitely believe he has some cricket left in him.”
batsman’s test statistics in brief
Virat Kohli was one of the most-watched cricketers in white, under whose leadership Team India evolved into a team that loved to play with a winning attitude. Kohli’s mentality helped the team and the players believe in themselves. As a batsman, he was also a run machine in the format.
Before ending his Test career, the Delhi-born player played 123 matches and scored 9230 runs at an average of 46.85. During this period, the top order batsmen recorded thirty centuries and thirty-one half-centuries. The figures are enough to tell what the batsman did for the team. Kohli’s last Test match was against Australia on 3 January 2025 in Sydney.
Kohli’s test record
| Format | mat | Inn | No | it goes | HS | avenue | BF | sr | 100s | 50’s | 4s | 6s | whistle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tests | 123 | 210 | 13 | 9230 | 254* | 46.85 | 16608 | 55.57 | 30 | 31 | 1027 | 30 | 121 |
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