Ever since India faced another crushing defeat in front of the Proteas at their own home, several speculations have been surrounding the return of Virat Kohli. Now, an official Cricbuzz report claims India might be exploring ideas to bring in retired legends on a short-term basis.
India have not performed well in the longest format of the game in the last year. They missed qualifying for the WTC Final, their veterans stepped down, they had to part ways with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and they had their unbeaten streak on home soil broken.
Though mostly the management and the head coach have been blamed for these losses, some have also felt that the lack of stability in the Indian batting order might also be one of the reasons for India’s losses.
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India is having second thoughts on Virat Kohli’s Test retirement
Indian legendary cricketer Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket, following in his former captain Rohit Sharma’s footsteps. Kohli had already amassed an extensive record in the format, but went down without completing 10000 runs in the format.
Virat Kohli’s retirement was then not opposed by the Indian management, as they quickly appointed Shubman Gill as India’s new captain and started exploring new options with Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan.
However, neither Nair nor Sudharsan could actually prove effective as India’s new number three. Across several series, they have had repeated opportunities, but be it at home or away, Sudharsan has not found runs with his bat.
A Cricbuzz report has now revealed that India are considering bringing back recently retired legends on a short-term basis. They are currently having a line of thought involving such an idea.
Will Virat consider returning for red-ball international cricket?
Now, even if the Indian team considers backing Virat Kohli for a red-ball return, it is very unlikely that the former Indian great will agree to the same terms. He has always been clear that once he retires, he wishes to relish a stress-free family life.
Ever since his retirement, Kohli has kept a very low profile, as he has only been spotted when he arrived for the Australia series and now the South Africa series. Kohli, who once claimed the Test format to be his favourite format, left it willingly without many schemes or manipulations behind it.
Virat had informed all that he feels a new kind of energy after taking a long, impending break from cricket. He now plays only ODIs for India and IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Virat Kohli’s numbers in Test cricket for India
In his illustrious career, the 37-year-old former Indian batter has amassed 9230 runs in his Test career after playing 123 matches. Averaging 46.85 and having scored 30 hundreds, he is one of India’s most decorated Test cricketers.
Virat Kohli flaunts the record of most Test double-hundreds for India, but saw a major dip in form after having been in his prime for the last 6 years, between 2014 and 2019. However, after that, their averages dropped, and Virat could not meet his own standards since the start of the World Test Championship.
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