Former India opener Navjot Singh Sidhu says India will need the experience of Virat Kohli in the upcoming five-match Test series against England, starting June 20, and has requested the star Indian batter to rethink his decision to retire from Test cricket. As TimesofIndia.com had reported, Virat Kohli reached out to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and said he wanted to call it a day in the longest format.However, Navjot Singh Sidhu believes Virat Kohli’s timing to step away from the red-ball format is not correct.“Virat Kohli’s decision — that he wants to retire — has created a stir across the cricketing world. His intention is right, his motive is noble — that ‘the old order must change, yielding place to the new.’ But the timing and occasion are not appropriate, because the pride and prestige of India are on the line,” Sidhu said in video posted on X.
“We are heading into a tour that is the toughest litmus test even for other Test-playing nations. Why do I say that Kohli can be our ‘knight in shining armor’ in England? Because he has the experience, especially after Rohit Sharma’s departure. You can’t send an inexperienced side to England,” he added.Sidhu also cited the example of legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, who played for India under a high fever in a crucial fixture during the 1987 ODI World Cup. Who’s that IPL player?“In the 1987 ODI World Cup, which was my debut tournament, Sunil Gavaskar was down with a high fever. Captain Kapil Dev asked Gavaskar whether he was fit, and the reply came, ‘skip 50-50.’ Kapil Dev, with a smile on his face, said, ‘Sunil Gavaskar at 50 percent is much better than anyone in this world at 100 percent. The same goes for Virat Kohli,” he said.“He should be India’s stop-gap captain for the next six and seven months and lead India from the front,” he added. If Virat indeed retires, it would mark the end of an illustrious Test career of 14 years, during which he made 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries. He is also India’s most successful Test captain ever, having won 40 out of 68 Tests with the armband.
