“Many people didn’t want him there” - Former RCB batter’s stunning remark on Virat Kohli’s Test retirement

Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has made a strong statement regarding Virat Kohli’s decision to step away from Test cricket. The Delhi-born batter called time on his red-ball career on May 12, 2025, after representing India in 123 matches and scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries.

Speaking on his YouTube channel on Tuesday, October 7, Kaif discussed Kohli’s decision, revealing that the 36-year-old initially wanted to be part of the England tour but was compelled to reconsider. Kaif noted that a dip in form, along with a feeling that he was no longer wanted, played a role in his decision. Kaif said:

“Virat Kohli was struggling. There were two reasons behind his retirement. First, he wasn’t able to score runs as his weakness outside the off-stump was getting exposed, and every bowler was targeting him there. Second, he wanted to keep playing, he even wanted to go on the England tour, but certain things happened within the team that made him feel like many people didn’t want him there anymore.” “So when you’re already struggling for form, and on top of that, you face seam-friendly conditions in England, just like he had struggled in Australia earlier, and then you also don’t feel supported by the coaches or selectors, it becomes too much. All of that combined made him feel that his place in the XI was no longer certain, and that he might not even make the squad of 15. Because of these reasons, Kohli decided to say goodbye to Test cricket and focus on white-ball formats instead,” he added.

Virat Kohli endured a difficult run in his final Test series, the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. He played all five matches but could manage only 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75, registering a lone century.

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“Who are these people?” - Mohammad Kaif takes a dig at Virat Kohli’s critics

In the same video, Mohammad Kaif also addressed the criticism directed at Virat Kohli for the way he has managed his career, particularly after choosing to reside in London.

The 44-year-old pointed out that Kohli last played during IPL 2025, where he finished as the tournament’s third-highest run-scorer with 657 runs, ahead of players like Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer. Speaking on the matter, Kaif said:

“Who are these people? Tell them that when Kohli played his last IPL, he scored more runs than Abhishek Sharma, Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer. I look at whether a player comes to the pitch and plays an impactful innings, whether he attends the camp. If we’ve called him and he comes, practices, I observe all that.” "It's an 8-hour flight; from London to Mumbai. If he says he won’t come to the camp and will go straight to Australia, then that would be wrong. You can question that, but Kohli would never do something like that,” he added.

Virat Kohli is set to return to action when India take on Australia in a three-match ODI series starting on October 19.

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Edited by Dev Sharma