Virat Kohli's T20I, Test Retirement Reversal Demanded By World Cup Winner

Kohli's Test and T20I inclusion demanded [Source: AFP]

After winning the T20 World Cup in 2024, the legendary Indian player, Virat Kohli, announced his retirement from the game’s shortest format. A year later, he shocked the world by announcing his Test retirement, a decision that came as a surprise to many.

He continued to take part in the ODIs and currently represents the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. Playing for the RCB, Kohli won the IPL in successive seasons (2025, 2026), and he was a major reason why the franchise lifted the trophy after an 18-year wait.

Kohli's domination in RCB's IPL title triumphs

Kohli has scored 600-plus runs in four consecutive IPL seasons; moreover, he played an integral role in RCB’s title triumph.

With the bat, he was pivotal for the side as he dominated the proceedings, and the numbers reveal the story. In 2025, he accumulated 657 runs, with a strike rate of 144, and an average of 54.75.

However, the real domination came during the recently concluded IPL 2026, when Kohli punished the bowlers, and accumulated 675 runs in 16 matches, with an astonishing strike rate of 165.85.

Kohli’s T20I, Test retirement questioned by Madan Lal

After Kohli’s personal triumph in the IPL 2026, where he steered RCB to a title win, former India player and World Cup-winner Madan Lal questioned Kohli’s decision to quit the T20I and Test formats, while praising his leadership skills and hunger.

In an interview with PTI, Lal said: “There should never be any question on Virat Kohli’s ability, form and fitness in any format. I couldn’t understand why he left T20 and Test cricket. I think he should have played two more years,” Lal said, while praising Kohli’s hunger, commitment and leadership in red-ball cricket.

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Should Kohli consider coming back to T20Is and Tests?

It is not an understatement to say that Kohli has been India’s best T2OI player, and was the best Test captain (as the statistics say).

He represented India in 125 T20I matches, and slammed 4188 runs, and also won two Player of the Tournament awards in the T20 World Cups. His dream was to win the T20 World Cup once, and the Indian great retired at the right time after conquering the World in 2024.

Moreover, after the T20 World Cup win in 2024, Kohli himself admitted that it is time for the younger generation to carry forward the mantle in T20Is for India. However, in Tests, things were a lot different.

By 2019, he had a staggering 54.98 average in Tests, with 27 centuries to his name. However, post the Covid era, the numbers declined, and from 2020, till his retirement, the veteran player only averaged 30, and had slammed three centuries.

His overall Test average dropped massively, and Kohli ended his red-ball career with 9230 runs, and an average of 46.85. Just like his T20I journey, Kohli shouldn’t reconsider his decision to come back in Tests.

He had done his bit for the Indian Test team and will forever be remembered as their greatest Test captain. Moreover, Team India has rebuilt itself after his departure, and the management should never go back to their past.

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