Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif has opined that Virat Kohli was not happy with the team’s environment, which forced him to announce his Test retirement. Kohli called time on his Test career in May 2025, which took the cricketing world by shock.
The veteran was not at his absolute best in the red-ball format in the last five years as he was averaging around 30. However, Kaif reckons Kohli could have made a solid comeback in the multi-day format.
During the IPL, Kohli said he didn’t like playing in an environment where he had to prove his worth. Kohli amassed 9230 runs in 123 Test matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. In the last 69 Test innings since 2020, Kohli has managed only 2028 runs at an average of 30.72, including just three centuries.
“When I look at his interviews about this, I feel like there is some disappointment on his face. Even if his form was bad, you are talking about Virat Kohli. He has had bad phases in ODIs as well at times. It looks from his interviews that he was not happy with the environment. It seemed that he felt like he was not getting importance and backing and the people within had no faith in him. I still think if he would have continued, he would have definitely made a comeback. He is known for comebacks,” Mohammad Kaif said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Kaif, the former UP batter, highlighted how Kohli made a roaring comeback after registering two back-to-back ducks against Australia.
“If he had been removed after those two ducks in Australia, would we have been able to praise him or look at such knocks from him now? I can understand if it is a new player. But this is Virat Kohli. You cannot apply the same things to him as you do to others. Your form will go bad. No one is a machine or this is not a video game.”
Kohli will be seen in action in the second ODI against the West Indies on Wednesday.
