"Decisions that feel comfortable to him" - Former captain's massive statement on Virat Kohli's retirement ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Ace New Zealand batter Kane Williamson offered his opinion on Virat Kohli's unexpected retirement from Test cricket ahead of the England tour. The pair were embroiled in a neck-to-neck race as members of the 'Fab Four' for the majority of their respective international careers.

The former India skipper, however, bowed out of the race after an underwhelming 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series, prodding the team into transition far earlier than anticipated. Kohli chose to retire after 123 appearances, with 9230 runs to his name, making him the fourth-highest run scorer in Tests for the country.

Having already retired from T20I cricket following India's triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli is only active in the ODI circuit as far as international cricket is concerned. The ace batter's peers, namely, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, and Steve Smith, are still trudging along, heading into the twilight of their careers, maintaining the well-respected rivalry alive.

Kane Williamson remarked that Kohli's decision to leave on his own terms must be respected because all good things come to an end.

"Someone like Virat.. so many great moments throughout the international game but really the bond outside of the pitch is something that's you know far more special and those experiences that have been shared together. All good things come to an end, and the way he's been able to make those decisions that feel comfortable to him... I think it's been incredible going out on his terms, etc. Although still involved in one of the formats," Williamson said in an interview with the Times of India.

Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson started their journey together, in a way, after having hit the spotlight during the 2008 U-19 World Cup campaign. The pair even came face-to-face when India faced New Zealand in the semi-final stage, where the Indian legend not only dismissed his counterpart, but also bagged the player of the match award.

"I always thought captaincy sits well with Shubman" - Kane Williamson hails Gill's leadership in ENG vs IND 2025 Tests after Kohli's retirement

Kane Williamson shared the dressing room with Shubman Gill during his time with the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Two of his three appearances for the franchise came after Gill was appointed captain because he was ruled out of the 2023 season after the first match itself.

The Blackcaps batter praised how Shubman Gill has translated his captaincy to the international level and expects him to dominate Test cricket in the near future as well, just as he has done with the white-ball formats.

"He's responded beautifully, hasn't he? I always thought captaincy sits well with Shubman. I know happening in a franchise space is slightly different, you know it's a shorter sort of project versus captain in your country, which is you know it's a lot more consuming. Whilst you're in that role, you're never out of it. It's a much larger role sort of on and off the field," Williamson said. "Watching Shubman operate and he's wise beyond his years and you know that responsibility is naturally something that he would look to take on. So hearing him get that opportunity was no surprise to me but you know the quality of the player is something that goes without saying. He's absolutely world-class. And all the other formats throughout... the IPL for a number of years and one day cricket I think he's top of the tree there. Test cricket really is a matter of time," he added.

Shubman Gill will lead India in the upcoming fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester, scheduled to begin on Wednesday, July 23.

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Edited by Gokul Nair