Virat Kohli’s move to retire due to BCCI denying captaincy request?

Virat Kohli's decision to retire reportedly stems from the fact that he was denied captaincy for the England series

Virat Kohli’s decision to communicate his desire to retire from Tests might have been triggered by the BCCI denying him from captaining India in the England series. On Saturday, a report claimed that the former Indian captain had made up his mind on calling it a day in the longest format of the game. Although the BCCI has requested him to reconsider his decision, Kohli is yet to revert to the board.

BCCI reason behind Kohli’s Test retirement?

As per Times of India, Kohli had communicated his decision to retire from Tests well before the discussions for the England series got underway. It is pertinent to be noted that it came after he had expressed desire to captain the Indian team once again but was turned down by the BCCI. Instead, the selectors were looking for a long-term solution and shortlisted Shubman Gill as the next skipper.

Multiple reminders served

The report further states that Virat had dropped a hint to his teammates multiple times during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, his words weren’t taken seriously back then. But his decision to retire from Tests came as a surprise to “those who mattered,” the report added.

As per reports, Kohli had been contemplating his future in Test cricket since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The veteran batter had a rather miserable series, managing to score just 190 runs in 9 innings, averaging 23.75. His problem with playing outside the off deliveries led to him being dismissed in that fashion 8 out of 9 times.

Following the series, Kohli had revealed that the Bordet-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 could very well have been his last tour to Australia.

What happened earlier

“It is reliably understood that another senior player, who sensed a leadership vacuum, expressed desire to have the captaincy armband again. That, however, was not entertained by the Indian cricket board, as they are clear on grooming a player for the future,” a TOI report had stated earlier this month.