Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan was left shocked after Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket. In his column, Vaughan highlighted the impact that the former India captain had in the longest format of the game.
Star India batter Virat Kohli announced his Test retirement on Monday, May 12. The 36-year-old revealed the decision via an Instagram post, and since then, tributes have poured in from every corner of the world. However, former cricketer Michael Vaughan was left shocked and stated that he is gutted to not see Kohli for India’s upcoming five-match Test series against England, starting June 20.
Lauding Kohli for his success and impact, Vaughan also mentioned that no other individual has done for the game than the former India international. The Delhi-born has been very vocal about protecting the longest format of the game, and when discussions happened regarding reducing a day and making Test cricket a four-day affair, Kohli voiced his frustration, which was key at that stage.
“There are not too many Test retirements where I am left genuinely disappointed that I won’t watch a cricketer play again. But I’m gutted we won’t see Virat Kohli in England this summer or in whites any more,” Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
“I’m shocked that he’s retiring now, and I’m also quite sad about it. In my time involved in the game, stretching back more than 30 years, I don’t believe there is any individual who has done more for the Test format than Virat,” he added.
Adding more, Vaughan noted that under MS Dhoni, India seemed to have lost interest in the format, but Kohli managed to rejuvenate that with consistent performances. Furthermore, his skills and passion added value and took the Indian team to newer heights.
“MS Dhoni was one of the great white-ball players but it felt like he captained a Test team who did not love the format. The game needs India to be madly in love with Test cricket, and that is what Virat fostered as captain. His passion, skill, and the way he talked about Test cricket always being the pinnacle has been a huge shot in the arm for the format. Test cricket would have been a far blander place without him,” Vaught wrote.
