Mohammad Kaif claimed that Virat Kohli was keen to continue playing Test cricket, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) might have cited his poor form over the last five years and didn't offer him a place in the team.
Virat Kohli recently followed the path of Rohit Sharma and announced his retirement from Test cricket via his official Instagram handle. It came as a major surprise to the cricketing world, as many expected him to play till 40, as he is regarded as one of the fittest cricketers in the world.
Virat Kohli finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer for India in Tests. Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most Test runs for India, amassing 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78, and he is followed by Rahul Dravid with 13,288 runs, Sunil Gavaskar with 10,122 runs, and Virat Kohli.
There must have been some internal talks with the BCCI - Mohammad Kaif
Mohammad Kaif, meanwhile, believes that Kohli wanted to travel to England for the Test series, but the BCCI selectors didn't back him, taking into consideration his poor form in the longest format of the game.
“But given the last-minute decision, having played the Ranji Trophy, I definitely think he wanted to come back in the upcoming Tests. The developments in the last few weeks, he may have not gotten the support he thought he will get from BCCI and selectors which he may not have gotten," he said as quoted by IANS.
Virat’s decision left me confused - Mohammad Kaif
Mohammad Kaif further said that he saw Rohit Sharma's retirement coming after how his Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 panned out, but was confused seeing Kohli retire.
“On the other hand, Virat’s decision left me confused. Yes, in his Test career his numbers have come down in the past few years, but a 36-year-old fit Virat Kohli could have comeback like he has proved before."
“It felt he would play for a few years, guiding the youth players. This is a very private decision, he always used to say that it is his favourite format. If you look at any interview of his he always used to ring praises of the Test format."
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