“It’s his own choice. What can I say? I believe Kohli still has many years of cricket left in him,” Harbhajan said.
Virat Kohli surprised the cricket world by announcing his Test retirement on May 12. It was unexpected, especially since Test cricket was his favorite format. His decision came soon after two other Indian legends, Ravichandran Ashwin and Rohit Sharma, also retired from Tests. With all three stepping away, the Indian team now has to search for new players to fill the gap in red-ball cricket.
Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh was recently asked about Kohli’s decision to retire. He said that retirement is a personal choice, and it’s not for others to judge or question. Harbhajan added that, in his opinion, Kohli is still fit enough to continue playing Test cricket. He even mentioned that he himself feels capable of playing competitive cricket today. But in the end, when a player wants to retire is entirely up to them.
“Yeh toh unka personal decision hain, isme main kya keh sakta hoon? Dum-kham toh bande mein bahut hai. Wo lambe samay tak khel sakte hain. Khelne ko toh main bhi khel sakta hoon (“It’s his personal decision. What can I say? I think Kohli can still play for a longer period of time. I can also play),” the cricketer-turned-commentator was quoted as saying by Southlive.
Selectors Quickly Pick Karun Nair After Kohli Pullout
The retirement of the 36-year-old has created a big gap in India’s batting lineup. To fill this, the selectors have brought back Karun Nair for the upcoming five-match series against England. They believe he has enough experience to handle the role. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar also said that Nair’s time playing county cricket in England will be useful and could help replace what the team lost with Kohli’s exit.
The series will start on June 20, with the first Test match taking place at Headingley in Leeds. The team management has shown strong trust in 25-year-old Shubman Gill by naming him the new captain, with Rishabh Pant as the vice-captain. This series will also begin the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for India. The team will aim to perform well with a younger, less experienced squad that still has a lot of talent and skill.
