Virat Kohli is far from finished with Test cricket, according to a recent statement made by former India head coach Ravi Shastri. Additionally, he believed that if he hadn’t withdrawn from the game’s longest format, it would have been wise to pass the captaincy for the forthcoming five-Test series against England.
Shastri hypothesised that the main cause of Kohli’s abrupt withdrawal from Test cricket, the format he most enjoyed playing, would be mental exhaustion.
“I have no doubt that Virat had two more years to play Test cricket.
I wish I could have seen him this summer in England. Giving him the tour’s captaincy would have been a smart move, but he would be the one to know the reasons behind his departure. He was as fit as any other player on the team, so perhaps mental exhaustion led him to make the decision. The mind would have been the deciding factor, but he knew his body best. In an interview with, Shastri stated, “I won’t rule out burnout as the decisive factor in curtailing his career at a critical phase of Indian cricket.”
Will walk away from the game once he is done playing cricket: Ravi Shastri
The renowned commentator also said that he feels that Kohli will not opt for any coaching or broadcasting role which cricketers usually take up after international retirement.
“He is still around to serve Indian cricket in ODIs, but I also know that Virat will walk away from the game once he is done playing cricket. He is not the kind who would like to coach or take on the role of a broadcaster. I will miss him when India plays its first Test in England. He was a champion, and that is what I would like to remember – never conceding an inch,” added Shastri.
Kohli was just 770 runs away from reaching the 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket. He just announced his retirement from the sport after playing 123 matches (210 innings). He will only concentrate on playing for India in the 50-over format for as long as he can after retiring from T20Is last year.
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