Virat Kohli's decision to quit the Test format has broken many hearts all across the globe. Kohli might be 36, but he still remains one of the finest batters in the game. Though his recent exploits with the bat in the Test format weren't up to the mark, no one had anticipated that Virat would call it a day in the longest format of the game, despite holding red-ball cricket so close to his heart. As the Indian cricket team prepares for life without Virat in the whites, famous lyricist and songwriter Javed Akhtar has urged the talismanic batter to reconsider his decision.
"Obviously Virat knows better, but as an admirer of this great player, I am disappointed by his rather premature retirement from Test cricket. I think there is still a lot of cricket in him. I sincerely request him to reconsider his decision," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
It was as a captain that Virat made the biggest impact in the Indian Test team. He led India to 17 wins in 22 Tests at home, losing just one match and drawing four. Away from home, Virat led India to 11 wins in 21 Tests, losing seven and drawing three. Under him, India emerged as a much stronger force.
After legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, Virat took forward their legacy as India's most reliable weapon in overseas conditions. Accumulating runs was a walk in the park even in bouncy, swinging, seaming lands like England, Australia, and South Africa. Acclimatising was never an issue for Virat as deliveries worth being punished landed perfectly on the sweetest spot of his bat while his unbreachable defence and judgement of line and length took care of the rest.
With ANI Inputs