Virat Kohli
Is Virat Kohli retiring from Test cricket? All you need to know
Mumbai/IBNS: India's cricket icon Virat Kohli has communicated to the national cricket board BCCI his wish to retire from Test cricket, media reports said.
However, reports also suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has requested Kohli to reconsider his decision in the run-up to the crucial England tour.
"He has made up his mind and has informed the board that he is moving on from Test cricket. The BCCI has urged him to rethink as the crucial England tour is coming up. He is yet to revert on the request," a source has been quoted by The Indian Express.
"He's still incredibly fit and hungry. His presence in the dressing room lifts the entire team... We've requested him to take some time before making a final call," a senior BCCI official on conditions of anonymity told NDTV.
The 36-year-old's decision came just after his contemporary Rohit Sharma's announcement of retirement from Tests.
The Indian selectors will meet soon to pick the squad for the England tour where the two teams will lock horns for five Test matches in June.
Much like his mate Rohit Sharma, Kohli's form in the last Test series, which was the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, was under the scanner.
His repeated fashion of getting caught behind the wicket and in slip cordon in bids to smash cover drives had pointed fingers at his performances in the longest format of the sport.
In Rohit's absence, the Indian selectors will have to pick a new captain for the England tour.
If Kohli remains firm on his decision, then the selectors will have to carefully craft the Indian middle order in absence of two giants.
With Rohit and Kohli going out, the team will be largely dependent on KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant.
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