‘I wasn’t happy when Virat retired from Test cricket’: Kapil Dev on Kohli’s shock decision

New Delhi: Former India captain Kapil Dev admitted he was ‘not happy’ with Virat Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket, saying the batting great still possessed the ability to succeed in the longest format and could have fought his way back into the side if required.

Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket in May 2025, bringing the curtain down on a glittering 14-year red-ball career in which he scored 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, including 30 centuries. India’s most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches, Kohli stepped away from the format ahead of the England tour, saying he had “given everything” to Test cricket.

Reflecting on Kohli’s decision, Kapil said he would have preferred the former India captain to continue playing.

“I wasn’t happy when he retired from Test cricket. It’s not about 10,000 runs or any milestone. I felt that if he had stayed away from reacting in anger for six months, there was every chance he would have played for India again,” Kapil told Sports Tak.

The 1983 World Cup-winning captain suggested Kohli should have remained patient even if he faced setbacks.

“If the selectors didn’t pick him, it’s okay. If the captain didn’t pick him, it’s okay. Go back, work hard, score runs in domestic cricket or wherever you play. He would have come back because he still has the ability of a Test match player,” he added.

Kapil also drew comparisons between Kohli’s intensely competitive personality and tennis legend John McEnroe, saying some athletes thrive on emotion and confrontation.

“He had that ability, though sometimes he got a little too enthusiastic. Looking at Virat, I remember John McEnroe. Until he fought, he couldn’t produce his best performance,” he said,

“Some players, like Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin, keep their heads down and let their performances do the talking. But some players take up challenges. That’s why I mentioned McEnroe. He was always fighting with the referee. I could never do that, but it was fascinating to watch,” he added.

Kapil acknowledged that while Kohli’s aggression occasionally appeared excessive from the outside, it may have been central to the former captain’s success.

“Sometimes, looking at Virat, you feel he should cool down a little. But maybe he believed his performances became better when he was that enthusiastic. That was probably his own thought process, and he had every right to think that way,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, despite taking retirement from Test and T2OIs, Kohli still plays ODIs for India and is expected to play a crucial role in the team’s mission to clinch the World Cup 2027 trophy.

IANS