In Virat Kohli’s Test retirement, India has lost the last of cricket’s superstars. I say this not because I am betting against the arrival of players who can rewrite record books. There are already the likes of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi who are stirring conversations in cricket corridors. It’s because of what Kohli has done to the game from outside his time spent between the 22 yards.
Be it the way he led—unabashed, unapologetic, in-your-face captaincy. Or his mic talking, or marshalling the crowd in his team’s favour. He would not leave any factor or subject on and around the ground go to waste. You could not dismiss him cheaply. If he hasn’t scored runs, he will make the opposition’s life difficult with his captaincy. And when captaincy was gone, he became the biggest team player, cheering and backing his bowlers from the second slip or short leg.
These are traits only the superstars of the game can have. And Kohli learned from the best. When he entered the Indian dressing room, Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement was still two years away. And Rahul Dravid’s ‘Wall’ was still standing rock solid. And of course, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Kohli learned from these greats and made something of his own, in the process joining their league.
Best of the Test
In the last decade, the impact on the game by Kohli transcended borders and generations. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he is the last superstar of Indian cricket, as Shah Rukh Khan is of Bollywood.
When Dhoni announced a sudden retirement from Test cricket in 2014, citing the strain of playing all formats, the spotlight fell on Kohli to lead the country in the longest format of the game. And he would not disappoint. In hindsight, his captaincy record tells as if he was just waiting for the opportunity, and not without having done the hard work of earning it.
His ability to adapt to different conditions, opposition, and formats is incredible. That showed in the statistics. Under his Test captaincy, India won 40 out of 68 matches, which made him the most successful Indian Test captain.
He was a captain both on and off the field—often batting for his players. He would counter unfair criticisms his players would face on social media with equal aggression. The Mohammed Shami episode told us all what he stood for. Only a superstar ambassador of the game can go that extra mile. Not so gentlemanly for opposition on the field, but an absolute fair player when it came to ethics.
“Whenever I stop playing, I don’t want people to say that a player named Virat played for India. My goal has always been that whenever I stop playing, the youngsters who are coming up should be able to say that I want to be like him. I have been inspired by seeing someone, so I would also like people to be inspired by seeing me,” Kohli said in a 2013 interview.
The words he said 12 years ago have now become an established truth, which was reflected in Shubman Gill’s statements after Kohli’s retirement. “From watching you bat when I was 13 and wondering how someone could bring that kind of energy to the field, to sharing the field…I know how much Test cricket meant to you and I hope our generation can carry forward that same fire and commitment,” wrote Gill.
Kohli’s retirement announcement on Monday devastated millions of his fans who not just shared about his greatness but also mentioned his mastery of techniques, mental fortitude, fitness, and cover drives, which have set a new benchmark for the next generation.
In the last decade or so, cricket has been overexposed in terms of the number of matches played. And Indians are also attracted to other sports. When the last decade began, Test cricket’s obituary was being written frequently. T20 was the favourite kid in the town. It is only an extraordinary talent that can shake the larger trend of a game in a region. Between 2014 and 2019, it was under Kohli’s wings that Indians witnessed some of the best of the Test.
Kohli came from the old school of cricket where players know how important Test cricket is, which not only tests the skills but also the temperament.
He may not have crossed the 10,000 run mark in the format, but his class, character, charge, and charm are way above stats can capture.
Kohli also transformed the Indian Test cricket from a primarily spin bowling attack to a fast bowling unit and fuelled the team with aggression.
“Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life. There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever,” he wrote in his retirement announcement on Instagram.
For him, leading Test cricket was his passion project.
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Win-at-all-costs mentality
Kohli’s leadership style was marked by a win-at-all-costs mentality, which transformed the Test team into a formidable force.
He instilled a winning mentality and spearheaded a fast bowling revolution with Jasprit Bumrah, Shami, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Umesh Yadav.
Under his leadership, India achieved some of its greatest victories in Test cricket against Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and Australia. His aggressive style inspired a new generation of Indian cricketers.
These wins were not with the one-day preparations. Kohli believes in continuous preparation, fitness and intensity, which is a testament to his greatness. Whenever we talk about India’s greatest Test side, Kohli’s name will come up, along with the other greats such as Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and VVS Laxman.
India will be forever grateful. A Delhi boy walked in jersey number 18 and left his signature on the game. Hat’s off to 269.
Views are personal.