Former West Indies National Cricket Team player Brian Lara has come up with a special request to Virat Kohli amid his retirement decision from Test cricket. He said that the longest format of the game needs him and will end his career with an average of over 60 in the format.
India National Cricket Team batter Kohli shocked the entire cricket fraternity after the reports of his Test retirement hogged the headlines. The right-hander reportedly has conveyed his decision to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as well, saying that he wants to move away from Tests.
Virat Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket comes ahead of the England tour
Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket comes ahead of the squad announcement for the Test series against the England National Cricket Team. The two teams will lock horns with each other in the five-match series, starting from 20th July at Headingley in Leeds.
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Kohli has told BCCI that he won’t be playing the Test series against England. The reports added that the governing body has asked the batter to rethink his decision and will be putting some influential figures in between, conveying that the batter team needs him.
Test cricket needs Virat!! He is going to be persuaded – Brian Lara
Amid all this, former West Indies National Cricket Team player Brian Lara came with a special message for Kohli. He said that the longest format of the game needs the batter, and he won’t be retiring as BCCI will persuade him. Taking to his Instagram account, he said:
“Test cricket needs Virat!! He is going to be persuaded. He is NOT going to retire from Test cricket. @virat.kohli is going to average above 60 for the remainder of his Test career.”
TEST CRICKET NEEDS VIRAT KOHLI.
– Brian Lara’s Instagram post. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Fz1bQFEcj7
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 10, 2025
Indian cricket needs Virat Kohli, especially in the red-ball format – S Badrinath
Former India National Cricket Team cricketer S Badrinath also echoed the thoughts of Brian Lara. He mentioned that Indian cricket needs him, especially in the red-ball format, as he needs to groom a young team around him. Taking to his Twitter account, he said:
“Indian cricket needs Virat Kohli, especially in the red-ball format, to help groom a young team around him. Looking forward to seeing him against England next month.”
Indian cricket needs Virat Kohli, especially in the red-ball format, to help groom a young team around him. Looking forward to seeing him against England next month 🏏
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) May 10, 2025
Virat Kohli, no doubt, has been far ahead of many in the Tests. The India National Cricket Team batter has made a massive impact in the format, and it’s fair to say that he is keeping the format alive and kicking. The batter has slammed 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85 in the matches that he has played in the longest format of the game.
However, in the last few years, he has been struggling big-time to score runs consistently. His average has taken a massive dip as he has amassed 1,990 runs in 37 games with just three hundreds, which is well below his standards. He was last seen in action in whites during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
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