Former Indian cricketer questions handling of Virat Kohli’s Test exit: ‘The way he was treated…’

“A player like Virat brings people to the ground. He has such a following. He definitely could have played more Test cricket. Till we hear it from Virat’s mouth, we won’t know. He was preparing for the England tour.”

Jaffer’s comments place the focus back on how senior players were managed during Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as chief selector. The former opener assumed that a more sensitive handling of the situation might have allowed Kohli to continue longer in the format he had championed throughout his career. Debate over the timing has never fully subsided. Some former players and observers have argued that Kohli still had runs and influence left to offer, particularly given his ability to draw crowds and elevate the intensity of matches. 

On the other hand, some other observers have pointed to the natural cycle of team evolution and the need to blood younger talent ahead of major series. Kohli himself has largely stayed silent on the precise details of his decision, though he has ruled out any return to Test cricket and continues to feature in ODIs and the Indian Premier League.

Virat Kolhi announced his Test retirement in 2025 as one of the most successful players

Kohli announced his retirement from the longest format on 12 May 2025, ending a 14-year Test career that spanned 123 matches. He finished with 9,230 runs at an average of around 46.85, including 30 centuries and seven double hundreds. The decision came just days after Rohit Sharma also stepped away from Test cricket and only weeks before India were due to embark on a five-Test series in England. 

Kohli remains one of India’s most successful Test captains, leading the side to 40 wins in 68 matches in charge, the highest number of victories by an Indian skipper. The retirement closed a transformative chapter for Indian Test cricket. Under Kohli’s leadership, the team developed a more aggressive, fitness-driven approach that helped secure consistent results overseas and reach successive World Test Championship finals. His departure, alongside those of Rohit Sharma and earlier Ravichandran Ashwin, marked a significant generational shift and shock. 

At the time, the move surprised many fans, leaving several cricket fans around the world disappointed. Kohli had shown commitment to red-ball cricket by featuring in a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi earlier that year and was understood to be preparing for the England assignment. Reports later suggested that discussions with the then chief selector Agarkar and the team management left the former captain disillusioned. 

According to sources, it has been hinted that Kohli was informed a younger captain would be backed for the tour and that his own place would be evaluated purely on form, in line with any other batsman. Feeling the situation had changed, he opted not to tour. Whether Kohli’s exit was purely a personal choice or influenced by the atmosphere within the setup remains a matter of speculation until he chooses to address it publicly. 

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