Why Virat Kohli Test Retirement Shocked the Cricket World
Virat Kohli is not just the name of a player. It is the name of an emotion. We will not see this emotion in Test cricket anymore. A great player who not only worked as a batsman but the way he worked as a captain and served the Indian team was commendable.
Virat Kohli’s Test Career
First of all, these are the statistics, not 123 matches, 30 centuries, more than 9000 runs, 60 double centuries. But the most important feat that Virat Kohli has done is as a captain. See, when he got the captaincy in 2014, it was not like there was a break and he got the captaincy before the series. Brother, the series was about to end.
Kohli’s Captaincy in Test Cricket
Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that I am leaving the captaincy and suddenly Virat Kohli will captain the last Test match. This transition period is not so easy but Virat Kohli made it easy. When he became the captain, he scored two centuries in the same Test match in Australia in his first Test match. But the defeat he did after that is the most amazing defeat.
See, overseas the Indian team always used to think whether we won the Test match? Virat Kohli made the thought of winning the Test series overseas come true. It is not an easy task to go to Australia and win the Test series. Virat Kohli did that. How did he bowl the overs? Virat Kohli thought that I will not play with four bowlers now. I will play with five Test bowlers who will give me 20 wickets.
Now what compromise was there in that? A batsman had to compromise. Because before that the Indian team used to play with only four bowlers. Seven batsmen used to play. Now here the question arises that do you have the ability to take that risk? Do you have that thinking? Do you have that aggression? Did Virat Kohli have that aggression?
And that is why I believe that the importance that Virat Kohli gave to Test cricket as a leader will be missed. Because if you look at the statistics, then Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the second best Test captain of India who captained in 60 matches. He won 27 matches as captain for the Indian team. On the other hand, Virat Kohli has won 40 times in 68 test matches as captain for the Indian team.
His thinking, his aggression, it was what brought victory for India. The Indian team won the Test title in 2017-18-19 under his captaincy. The Indian team was the Test Team of the Year in 2017-18-1920 under his captaincy. The Indian team got the title of Test Team of the Decade in 2020 under his captaincy.
Virat In 4th For India in Test
So these figures tell the story of Virat Kohli’s ability as a leader. He used to tell his team in a tremendous way for all five days that no, I will not go for a draw. I want victory for the Indian team. This is what made him the greatest captain of the Indian team. Now let’s talk about batsman Virat Kohli.
See batsman Virat Kohli, when he was playing cricket, everyone used to say that he will do well in white ball. But finishing at number four in Test cricket for the Indian team is a great record in itself. That career started in 2011. It ended in 2025. He scored 30 centuries in 123 Test matches. But the most important thing that I could see was his passion.
When he went to England in 2014, Anderson was getting out repeatedly. He was getting a heavy edge outside the off-stump. He was not even scoring 150 runs in the entire series. But the intensity that he had as a batsman, friend, I will fight with you. I will try to be better than you and I will score runs. I have scored almost 10,000 runs in Test cricket.
Now when England went again in 2018, they did not even score 150 runs. In the 2014 series, everyone in England was raising the same question, will he get Anderson out in the same way again? Will England give him trouble outside the off stump? You had gone prepared. You wake up early in the morning in the cold of Delhi at 6:00 am, keep the conditions the same as you are going to get in England, you go after preparing for that.
This is a sacrifice, getting up early in the morning, working hard, preparing that much. And when you reach England again, what do you do? You score as many runs in the first match itself as you did not score in the entire series in 2014. You started that tour of England with an innings of 149 and by the time the series ended in 2018, you scored more than 500 runs.
He had an average of about 60 and with amazing figures, he accepted the challenge in front of the same bowler and defeated him. This was the thinking of Virat Kohli which made him a great Test cricketer as well.
Irfan’s Recall About Virat:
This is because your fitness is amazing. That is why you are able to do it. So this player became great only because his fitness was amazing. “In 2012, I remember Duncan Fletcher told me in Sri Lanka when we were doing this test. I had finished at number four and Virat Kohli was at number one.” Statement by Irfan Pathan (former Cricketer).
“Duncan Fletcher had told in that Kandy ground that Irfan, do you know who will be your number one player in the coming years? I took the names of one or two players. He said that it will be Virat Kohli. The reason for this will be his fitness only. He has the ability. He has the ability, that is why he is playing at such a high level.”
“But his prediction was that Irfan, you will see that by the time he finishes his cricket career, he will become the greatest player. And he is definitely in the list of great players and he did that feat because of his fitness. He has inspired people. They have such a huge following all over the world, we talk about Ronaldo, Messi.”
If the name of any sportsman comes after him, then it is Virat Kohli. Because he did not just play good cricket. He did not play great cricket. He did not do great captaincy. He has also inspired people to do fitness like me. If you go to his social media pages, you will find his videos where he will be seen doing fitness in different ways. People get inspired by him that we also want to become like him.
It is not an easy task. We talk about our diet. No one can control their diet for years. It is not that easy. But Virat Kohli did it. He improved his fitness. He improved his cricket and became the biggest inspiration in the world if we talk about cricket. There is no bigger name than this. That emotion of Virat Kohli’s name will be missed.
Virat Kohli is such a player that it does not matter who is in front of him. Whether you are a senior or a youngster, same competitors, if you show aggression, then Virat Kohli’s thinking of looking into the eyes and showing aggression will be missed. We will all miss you giving full energy for all five days in white clothes in Test cricket. Well done Virat Kohli. Thank you Virat Kohli.
Key Points
🏏 Virat Kohli is not just a cricketer, but an inspiration.
⭐ Kohli won 40 out of 68 Tests as captain.
💪 He strengthened the mindset of winning the Test series in Australia.
🔥 Kohli’s aggression and leadership symbolizes a change in Test cricket.
🚴♂️ His fitness and hard work made him a great batsman.
📊 Kohli has 30 centuries and nearly 10,000 runs in Test cricket.
💪 He has become an icon of fitness and a source of inspiration for the youth.
Key Insights
- Captain Kohli’s Impact: Under the leadership of Virat Kohli, the Indian team recorded tremendous success in Test cricket. Under his leadership, the Indian team won the title of ‘Test Team of the Year’ in the period 2017-20. It is the result of his mindset and aggression that took Indian cricket to new heights.
- Victory in Australia: Kohli gave Indian cricket the confidence that they can win Test series overseas as well. His strategies gave his team the mental strength, which helped them emerge victorious not only against weak teams but also against strong oppositions.
- Aggression and strategy: Kohli showed how a captain needs aggression more than anchoring. He decided to play with five bowlers, which was a wonderful attempt to diversify the bowling rather than reduce his batting strength.
- Rise of batsman Kohli: Kohli’s cricket career is a story of his perseverance and hard work. After his initial failures in England in 2014, he came back in 2018 and proved his performance, showing how hardworking and dedicated a player he is.
- Importance of fitness: Kohli’s fitness is a national aspect of his career. His hard work and dedication towards fitness sets him apart from other players. He not only enhanced his abilities but also inspired others by keeping discipline in his diet and exercise.
- Social Inspiration: Virat Kohli has played a vital role not only in cricket but also in society. His story is a source of inspiration for young players and he has become a symbol of fitness and hard work.
- Building Awareness: Kohli’s aggression and thinking has inspired young players. His presence and discipline in the game has given him a unique identity which cricket lovers will always remember.
Kohli’s game and leadership is not just his individual achievements but it is a unique journey for Indian cricket. His absence will definitely leave a huge void in Indian cricket. This brief recall about Virat Kohli has been stated by Irfan Pathan (former Indian Cricketer).
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