 "No one has done more for Test cricket than Virat Kohli, says ex-England captain Michael Vaughan")
Former England captain Michael Vaughan revealed he was left “genuinely disappointed” by the news of Virat Kohli announcing his retirement from Test cricket while hailing the batting superstar for his impact on the five-day format in the era of fast-paced T20 cricket. Kohli took the cricketing world by surprise by calling time on his Test career on Monday, less than a week after a similar decision by fellow batting legend and modern-day great Rohit Sharma.
Also Read | Virat Kohli Test retirement: An extraordinary batter, an even greater captain who elevated the format
“There are not too many Test retirements where I am left genuinely disappointed that I won’t watch a cricketer play again. But I’m gutted we won’t see Virat Kohli in England this summer or in whites any more,” Vaughan, who had masterminded England’s famous triumph in the 2005 Ashes, wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
“I’m shocked that he’s retiring now, and I’m also quite sad about it. In my time involved in the game, stretching back more than 30 years, I don’t believe there is any individual who has done more for the Test format than Virat,” he added.
Kohli scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85 during his 14-year journey as a Test cricketer, collecting 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries along the way. He is also India’s most successful Test leader of all time as well as one of the greatest ever with 40 wins in 68 matches from 2015 to 2022.
Test cricket would have been a ‘far blander place’ without Kohli: Vaughan
From Vaughan’s perspective, Test cricket would have been a “far blander place” without Kohli’s charismatic presence, and might have lost its appeal amid the rise of the T20 format and the emergence of leagues across the world.
Also Read | From fear to fire: How Kohli reshaped India’s pace identity in Tests
“When he took the captaincy just over a decade ago, I was worried India was losing interest in Test cricket,” Vaughan continued in his column.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“MS Dhoni was one of the great white-ball players but it felt like he captained a Test team who did not love the format. The game needs India to be madly in love with Test cricket, and that is what Virat fostered as captain.
“His passion, skill, and the way he talked about Test cricket always being the pinnacle has been a huge shot in the arm for the format. Test cricket would have been a far blander place without him, and there is a chance it would have lost its appeal if he had not been as interested and invested in it,” he added.
The announcement led to an outpouring of tributes on social media, with his idol and batting legend Sachin Tendulkar among those congratulating Kohli for a fantastic career. The 36-year-old was also congratulated by sporting icons from outside cricket such as tennis legend Novak Djokovic and MMA superstar Conor McGregor.
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