Indian Congress Member of Parliament, Shashi Tharoor, recently made a heartfelt request to former Indian captain Virat Kohli, urging him to reverse his Test retirement and make a comeback to the team.
Currently, millions of Indian cricket fans are possibly having that one thought in their mind of Virat Kohli’s possible return to Test cricket by reversing his retirement call. During the ongoing series against England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, India missed Virat Kohli, the captain.
Virat Kohli stepped down as India’s Test captain back in 2022, as Rohit Sharma took over the reins. Virat’s presence in the team during Rohit’s reign might not have marked the void, but the recent Indian team is lacking Kohli’s sheer aggression and determination on the field.
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Virat Kohli’s asked to reverse his Test retirement
Recently, in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has echoed what millions of Indian fans right now have on their minds. India is on the brink of their fourth consecutive Test series defeat on English soil since 2007.
Tharoor confessed that while watching the Indian team’s game, he had missed the presence of Virat Kohli in the side for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, especially after India failed to break the match-winning partnership between Joe Root and Harry Brook.
“I’ve been missing Virat Kohli a few times during this series, but never as much as in this Test match. His grit and intensity, his inspirational presence in the field, not to mention his abundant batting skills, might have led to a different outcome. Is it too late to call him out of retirement? Virat, the nation needs you,” Tharoor tweeted through his X handle.
I’ve been missing @imVkohli a few times during this series, but never as much as in this Test match. His grit and intensity, his inspirational presence in the field, not to mention his abundant batting skills, might have led to a different outcome. Is it too late to call him out…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 3, 2025
India’s dominance under Kohli’s Test captaincy
Kohli announced his Test retirement on the 12th of May, just a few days after the reports suggested his possible retirement from the format he loved the most.
India’s greatest-ever Test captain, Kohli, has led India to 40 Test wins, the most by any Indian Test skipper, and he has the highest win percentage among Indian Test skippers. He was known for his intense field aggression, as he won the repetitive Border-Gavaskar Trophy both on Indian and Australian soil.
However, despite his great success in several nations, Virat Kohli has had limited success as a skipper in England, since he is not among the Indian captains to win a series on English soil. Only Ajit Wadekar, Kapil Dev, and Rahul Dravid are among such Indian names.
India is on the brink of a tragic series loss at The Oval
India battled their way to The Oval Test, not letting England win the series in Manchester, since the two all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar batted diligently to take India to a draw at Old Trafford.
India won a historic Test at the iconic Edgbaston Stadium; however, their tragic loss in the third Test at Lord’s made India fall on the back foot. After the heartbreaking Test, India looks to win the Oval Test to draw the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
After the first two innings, India posted a target of 374 runs; England were also reduced to 106/3 in their batting innings. However, Joe Root and Harry Brook took the game away from the grip of the Indians, especially after Mohammed Siraj missed Harry Brook’s catch.
They completed their respective hundreds; however, India made a stunning effort post Tea, as England need 35 more runs to win the game on the final day, while India need four more wickets to win it.
ALSO READ: Watch: Mohammed Siraj turns Virat Kohli to ignite India’s stunning fightback in Oval Test
