'Virat Kohli is NOT going to retire from Test cricket': Brian Lara's big claim on India's batting superstar's retirement decision

India's superstar batter Virat Kohli is reportedly contemplating to retire from Test cricket. The news follows reports that the former India captain has already communicated to the BCCI that he will not play the longest format going forward. However, the board is reportedly keen for him to participate in the upcoming five-match Test series against England. Soon after Virat Kohli's retirement reports dropped in concerning Virat's potential retirement, social media platforms have reportedly seen a flood of reactions from fans and former players alike.

Test cricket needs Virat Kohli: Brian Lara

Meanwhile, former West Indies captain Brian Lara also took to Instagram to say that Virat Kohli is not going to retire from Test cricket as he is going to be persuaded.

"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. #testcricket #thebest," Lara's Instagram post read.

The BCCI reportedly plans to hold discussions with Virat Kohli in the near future, with the aim of persuading him to be part of the upcoming series against England which is scheduled to start from June 20. The board's desire for his inclusion stems from the potential challenge of fielding a relatively inexperienced middle-order in his absence. While acknowledging that he has struggled for runs in Test cricket recently, Virat is widely considered one of the best batters of the current generation and is believed to still have ample cricket left in him across formats.

Should Virat Kohli proceed with his reported retirement from Test cricket, his international focus would then be solely on ODI format. It will follow his prior decision to retire from T20 Internationals, which he reportedly announced after India's title triumph in T20 World Cup 2024.

The reports surrounding Kohli surfaced shortly after Rohit Sharma announced his Test retirement.

Virat Kohli first stepped onto the Test match arena with his debut against West Indies in 2011. However, his initial period in the format saw him being dropped from the side early in his career. The batting juggernaut eventually solidified his position in the playing XI during India's tour of Australia in 2011/12, establishing himself as a regular member of the Test team. Kohli later took on the mantle of leadership, making his Test captaincy debut in 2014 and subsequently leading the team on a full-time basis until 2022. Under his captaincy, India achieved remarkable success, with Virat recording 40 wins from the 68 Tests he led, making him India's most successful Test captain in terms of matches won. Throughout his overall Test career, he amassed a total of 9230 runs across 123 matches.

Kohli will next be seen in action after BCCI resumes the IPL 2025 which was put on hold for a week time post India-Pakistan border tensions escalated. However, on May 10, both India and Pakistan mutually announced immediate ceasefire.