Of his 9230 Test match runs, he hit 1500 plus in Australia, over 1000 in England and Wales, and just 9 shy of 900 runs in the Proteas territory. And yet, Virat Kohli, fighting fit and affable with the bat, if not for world’s bowlers, took retirement in a manner that was shocking and saddening. Wasn’t it? So what was it about and could it be that the man celebrated around the world as ‘King Kohli’ return to the sport that can’t be imagined without the batting supremo? Now, while a lot about that is still in the unknown, someone like Robin Uthappa, one of the most powerful strikers of the white ball has his say one the legendary right hander. Here is what the man from Coorg, Karnataka had to say:
Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa believes the fire still burns in Virat Kohli’s eyes, despite the former skipper now featuring in only one format of international cricket. Uthappa recently reshared an Instagram post by Kohli on social media, suggesting that the time may be right for him to reconsider his decision to step away from Test cricket.
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Kohli announced his retirement from the longest format in May last year, and since then, speculation about a potential comeback has refused to die down. Much of the discussion stems from India’s recent struggles in Tests, particularly on home soil, where Kohli enjoyed an outstanding record as captain. Others feel the decision may have come prematurely, especially given his excellent performances in ODIs and the success of several contemporaries who continue to thrive in Test cricket.
“The eyes tell a story… Surely it’s time to rescind his Test retirement. Would love to see him back in Test cricket,” Uthappa wrote on his social media account.
A few weeks earlier, Uthappa had also remarked that Kohli’s retirement appeared rushed, adding that the complete truth behind the decision would only be known if Kohli chose to reveal it himself.
More recently, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar weighed in on the debate, going a step further by criticising Kohli for stepping away from Tests while continuing in what he described as the ‘easiest’ format of the game.
