Mumbai: In a month’s time from now, Team India will embark on a two-month tour of England to play five Test matches, which will kick off the two teams’ campaign in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) selection committee is expected to pick the England-bound squad a couple of weeks later. But don’t be surprised if some big names are missing from that list.
Earlier this week, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect. Even Virat Kohli may walk down the same path.
The Indian Express reported that the former captain has told the BCCI that he wishes to bow out of Test cricket, but top officials have requested him to reconsider the decision.
“He has made up his mind and has informed the board that he is moving on from Test cricket. The BCCI has urged him to rethink as the crucial England tour is coming up. He is yet to revert on the request,” the newspaper quoted sources as saying.
There has been talk of Kohli contemplating his Test future since the five-Test series for the Border Gavaskar Trophy which concluded in Australia in January.
Despite scoring an unbeaten 100 in the opening Test, Kohli struggled for the remainder of the series, managing just 190 runs at an average of 23.75 – well below his expected standard.
Since making his test debut in June 2011, Kohli has played 123 matches in which he has compiled 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85. He has also played 302 ODIs (14,181 runs) and 125 ODIs (4,188 runs), and hit 82 centuries across formats (30 in Tests, 51 in ODIs and 1 in T20Is).
Kohli, along with Rohit and Ravindra Jadeja, retired from T20 Internationals after India lifted the World Cup last June in the West Indies.
If Kohli does quit Test cricket, India will be without several veterans who served the team wonderfully well for several years, like Rohit and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Not only will the selectors have to name a new captain, they may have to find a replacement for the great Kohli at No. 4.
Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah are the frontrunners to lead India, while KL Rahul is a good bet for the No. 4 batting slot if Kohli calls it a day.
