'Test cricket needs Virat Kohli': West Indies legend urges former India captain to NOT retire

Cricket legend Brian Lara has expressed his support for the opinion urging Virat Kohli to reconsider his reported decision to retire from Test cricket. Lara's appeal comes at a crucial moment, as uncertainty looms over Kohli's future in the longest format of the game. According to a report from the news agency IANS, the 36-year-old Kohli has allegedly informed the BCCI about his intention to retire from Test cricket before India's upcoming five-match series in England, set to commence on June 20th.

However, the BCCI is not giving up hope, with sources within the board indicating that they are actively working to convince Kohli to continue, especially with the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle beginning with the challenging tour of England.

Taking to social media, Lara posted, "Test cricket needs Virat!! He is going to be persuaded. He is NOT going to retire from Test cricket. @virat.kohli is going to average above 60 for the remainder of his Test career."

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Brian Lara (@brianlaraofficial)

Virat Kohli struggled in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, being dismissed cheaply in eight innings. His lone standout performance came in the series opener in Perth, where he scored a century.

In his career, Kohli has played 123 Test matches, scoring 9230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties. However, his form has been on the decline, as evidenced by his recent struggles against New Zealand and Australia. His ability to score centuries has diminished, with bowlers consistently getting the better of him.

The retirement of Rohit Sharma from Test cricket has further highlighted Kohli's importance to the team. With both Sharma and Kohli no longer in the lineup, India will be without their two most experienced batsmen. This raises concerns about the team's leadership and batting depth as they prepare for a challenging series in England.

Also read| 'Tom Curran was crying, Daryl Mitchell said will never return to Pakistan': Rishad Hossain makes huge PSL 2025 revelation