It has been more than a year since Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket, the decision continues to spark a debate among fans and former cricketers. Joining the discussion, 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev admitted he was disappointed to see Kohli walk away from the longest format, insisting the former India captain still had the ability to represent the country in red-ball cricket.On May 12, 2025, Kohli brought the curtain down on his illustrious Test career, ending an extraordinary 14-year journey. He finished with 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, including 30 centuries, and remains India’s most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches. The great batsman retired ahead of India’s tour of England, saying he had “given everything” to the format.Reflecting on Kohli’s decision, Kapil said he would have preferred the star batsman to continue playing instead of calling time on his Test career.“I was not happy when he retired from Test cricket. It is not about 10,000 runs or any milestone. I felt that if he had gone away from reacting in anger for six months, there was every chance he would have played for India again,” Kapil told Sports Tak.
“Come back, work hard and make a comeback”
The legendary all-rounder believes that Kohli should have remained patient even if he had faced disappointment from the selectors or the team management.“If the selectors didn’t pick him, that’s fine. If the captain didn’t pick him, that’s fine. Come back, work hard, keep running in domestic cricket or wherever you play. I would have come back because he still has the ability to be a Test match player,” said Kapil.Kapil also compared Kohli’s fiery personality on the court to that of tennis legend John McEnroe, suggesting that some elite athletes perform at their best when driven by emotion and confrontation.“I had that ability, although sometimes I was a little too enthusiastic. Looking at Virat, I am reminded of John McEnroe. Until he struggled, he could not produce his best performance,” said Kapil.“Some players, like Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin, keep their heads and let their performances speak. But others embrace the challenges and develop on that intensity. That’s why I mentioned McEnroe. He was always arguing with the umpire. He could never do that, but it was fascinating to see,” he added.
Kohli’s focus now on ODI cricket
Although Kohli has retired from Tests and T20Is, he continues to represent India in ODIs and is set to feature in three upcoming ODIs against England from July 14.