Virat Kohli still had a lot to offer in test cricket and should have played longer, considered the former goalkeeper India Syed Kirmani, who praised the temperament of the star striker in a glowing tribute. Kohli announced his cricket test retirement on Monday, pulling the curtain in a stellar career of a red ball. He represented India in 123 tests, marking 9,230 points at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. “He still had a lot of cricket in him,” Kirmani, a member of the winning team of the 1983 World Cup, told Pti Videos.
“Everyone must retire, but he should have played a little more. However, I respect his decision. I wish him good luck for the future.” Kohli led India to 40 victories in 68 tests – the most by an Indian skipper to date.
Kirmani praised Kohli not only for his achievements on the field, but also for the inspiration he provided at the next generation of cricket players.
“Virat has brought coherence to the game, which made it different. It is a source of inspiration and motivation for young people who aspire to represent the nation, its adaptability and its temperament are laudable. It is phenomenal and emblematic,” he said.
Speculations on the future of Kohli in the format had intensified after the tour in Australia earlier this year.
“I don’t think it is after the records. It could be the excess cricket that led to that.
“Questions such as he retires, or if he is out of shape or in pressure, makes no sense. It is the individual decision of a player.”
Kohli’s departure adds to a growing list of senior Indian players who move away from the test cricket, after Ravichandran Ashwin in December and Rohit Sharma last week.
On the trend of players announcing pensions via social media, Kirmani said: “There is nothing wrong with that, there are press conferences, there is so much artificial intelligence, players announcing on their Instagram so that it is known worldwide, so in a way.”
(With the exception of the title, this story has not been published by NDTV staff and is published from a unionized flow.)
Subjects mentioned in this article
