Was Kohli Pushed to Retire?

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May 19, 2025 09:04 IST

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On this week's Sports and Pastime podcast, Prem Panicker and Faisal Shariff discuss the likely reasons for Virat Kohli's Test retirement, his impact on Indian cricket and the debate surrounding his legacy.

IMAGE: Will we see a cricketer like Virat Kohli again? Photograph: BCCI
 

From his understanding, based on conversations with people in the BCCI and some players, Prem suggests Kohli wasn't really going well with Coach Gautam Gambir.

Rohit Sharma acted as a 'buffer' between the Board/Gambhir and Kohli who once quipped about playing only as long as Rohit was there.

Another factor potentially on Kohli's mind was the prospect of not wanting to play under Shubman Gill as captain in England, following hints about potential leadership changes.

Kohli may have hoped for another chance to regain the captaincy, given his record as India's most successful Test captain with over 42 wins out of 68.

IMAGE: Did Rohit Sharma's retirement provoke Kohli to bid farewell to Test cricket too? Photograph: BCCI

What are you waiting for, guys?

Tune into the podcast and listen to what Prem and Faisal, two lively voices in cricket, have to say about Kohli's Test retirement... and more!

Earlier episodes of Sports and Pastime:

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff

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