Brian Lara Urges Virat Kohli to Continue Test Cricket Career
Brian Lara's Support for Virat Kohli
In a recent statement, cricketing legend Brian Lara expressed the importance of Virat Kohli to the future of Test cricket amidst ongoing speculation regarding Kohli's retirement from the format. Lara took to Instagram to convey his belief that Kohli will not step away from Test cricket anytime soon.
Lara stated, "Test cricket needs Virat!! He is going to be persuaded. He is NOT going to retire from Test cricket. @virat.kohli is going to average above 60 for the remainder of his Test career."
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Recent discussions have indicated that Kohli may have communicated his retirement intentions to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). This news surfaced shortly after his teammate Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket, just ahead of India's ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign, which begins with a series against England on June 20.
Reports suggest that Kohli has been in talks with the board regarding his future over the past month. Should he decide to retire, it would conclude a remarkable 14-year career in Test cricket, where he has amassed 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. Kohli also holds the record as India's most successful Test captain, winning 40 out of 68 matches.
With Rohit and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin having retired from international cricket last year, and the absence of veterans Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, Kohli remains one of the few experienced players alongside all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
In his last Test series during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Kohli struggled, scoring only 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75, with his century in Perth being a notable highlight. This century was his first since July 2023, when he scored against the West Indies.