Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott added a fresh perspective on Virat Kohli retirement from red-ball cricket, calling the India batter might have been mentally ‘fatigued’. The 36-year-old, with the kind of fitness he is in, suddenly called his time on Test career last month, leaving all his fans and former cricketers shocked.
Kohli’s Test retirement came just four days after India captain Rohit Sharma decided to call it quits in the longest format of the game. Had Kohli not retired, he would have been on the flight to England for India’s five-match Test series, starting on June 20 in Leeds.
One of the legends in modern-day cricket, Kohli has been a pillar for India across formats since his debut in 2008. But his form in the 2024-25 season wasn’t up to the standards that Kohli has set for himself over the years, with just one hundred at Perth against Australia.
While several felt that Kohli’s slum in form might have prompted the Kohli to retire from Tests, Boycott had a different perspective. “With so much international cricket played by India, and so little rest, it takes its toll and the mind becomes fatigued. It does not matter how much talent or experience you have, if you are not mentally fresh and up for the challenge, then it becomes draining,” Boycott wrote for The Telegraph.
After coming from Australia, Kohli was a part of the triumphant India squad the next month in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai, followed by the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) a few days later. More than two months later, Kohli lifted his first IPL trophy in 18 years with RCB.
India in transition mode
With no Kohli and Rohit, India get into the transition mode with Shubman Gill being named as the new Test captain. The Punjab batter will also succeed Kohli at no.4 in Tests, starting from in England. Rishabh Pant has been appointed as the new vice-captain. This is also the first time India will be taking the field without Rohit and Kohli in Test cricket.
