'Virat, the nation needs you...': Shashi Tharoor urges Kohli to take a retirement U-turn after India's performance in England Tests

India's Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor, who is an avid cricket fan, urged the batting maestro Virat Kohli to take a U-turn from his Test retirement after the Shubman Gill-led side's performance in England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. England are leading 2-1 after the fourth Test match ended in a draw.

Both India and England are currently involved in the fifth Test match, and this clash is the last chance for the visitors to draw the series. After witnessing Day 4 of the fifth Test match. Tharoor took his 'X', formerly known as Twitter, to urge Kohli to reconsider his decision.

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"I’ve been missing @imVkohli a few times during this series, but never as much as in this Test match. His grit and intensity, his inspirational presence in the field, not to mention his abundant batting skills, might have led to a different outcome. Is it too late to call him out of retirement? Virat, the nation needs you!" posted Shashi Tharoor.

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Kohli announced his Test retirement on May 12 during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and his last Test outing came in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where he managed to score 190 runs in five Test matches, including an unbeaten century in the first Test match.

Kohli has represented India in 123 Test matches in his 14-year career, where he scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. His highest score in the format was 254, and he also holds the record for the most double centuries by an Indian player, with seven.