Published: May 12, 2025, 05:47 PM (IST)
Edited: May 12, 2025, 05:47 PM (IST)
Australian batting great Greg Chappell feels Virat Kohli’s Test retirement “marks the end of a thunderous era” in which he managed to “eclipse” the great Sachin Tendulkar in terms of making a cultural and psychological impact on India’s cricketing identity.
Writing in his column for ‘ESPNCricinfo’, Chappell, a former India head coach said Kohli’s over a decade long career in the format that began in 2011, was a “reign forged in grit, fire, and audacity.”
“It closes the chapter on the most transformative figure in Indian cricket since Sachin Tendulkar; perhaps Kohli even eclipses him in terms of cultural influence and psychological impact on India’s cricketing identity,” Chappell wrote.
“Kohli, the incandescent heart of Indian cricket for over a decade, did not just score runs. He redefined expectations, challenged conventions, and symbolised the self-assured, unapologetic India of the 21st century,” he added.
“Virat Kohli is the most Australian non-Australian cricketer we’ve ever seen,” Chappell further wrote.
“He was – a snarling warrior in whites, never giving an inch, always demanding more. Not just of his bowlers, his fielders or his opposition, but first and foremost, of himself,” he said.
India’s batting talisman Virat Kohli on Monday announced his retirement from Test cricket ending the speculation about his future in the longest format.
The 36-year-old Kohli turned up in 123 Tests for India, scoring 9230 runs with 30 hundreds at an average of 46.85. He will only play in ODIs now, having already retired from T20 Internationals last year.
“As I step away from this format, it’s not easy — but it feels right. I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for,” Kohli announced on his Instagram page.
“I’m walking away with a heart full of gratitude — for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way,” he added.
His retirement continues the exodus of Indian bigwigs from the Test arena. Ravichandran Ashwin (in December) and Rohit Sharma (last week) are the others to have called it quits in the format.
