Going into the England tour, India has a Virat Kohli-sized void to fill in the middle order. After R Ashwin and Rohit Sharma, Kohli has been the latest to call it a day in the longer version of the game. While BCCI chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said the team will miss the experience of Kohli, but also acknowledged that it is an opportunity for others to step up. He also revealed Kohli’s decision of wanting to leave came in April.
“When guys like that retire, it’s always going to be big holes to fill. Even Ashwin retired a few months back. All those guys are stalwarts of Indian cricket. It’s always difficult. One way to look at it is that it’s an opportunity for someone else. Obviously, I’ve had conversations with both of them over the last couple of months. Virat obviously reached out in early April and said he wants to finish,” Agarkar said.
“We’ve seen him want to give 200 percent every ball that plays… even when he’s not batting and in the field. He had given everything that he had and if he can’t keep up to the standards that he’s set for himself over the years and how good he has been, maybe it was time for him,” he added.
“It’s tough for him; you’ve got to respect that. They have earned that respect, both of them (Rohit and Kohli), and the one thing with great players is that they are true to themselves. When you’ve got a guy who’s played 123 Test matches, you will obviously miss them. It’s tough to fill that spot, but it’s an opportunity for someone else. He has shown what needs to be done to succeed at this level,” Agarkar added.
Kohli has played 123 Tests in his career and scored 9230 runs at an average of 46.9. He scored 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries with a highest score 254 not out.
