The void left by Virat Kohli’s Test retirement continues to hang over Indian cricket like a cloud that refuses to drift. Kohli announced his retirement from the longest format last month, ending a career which saw India reach new heights as a Test-playing nation. However, there were, and continue to remain, many raised eyebrows about not just the decision, but the timing of it. Kohli’s announcement came roughly a month before the England Test series, and the batter had shown no indication about leaving the format in the recent past.
Amid the predictable chatter about new leadership, generational transition, and red-ball preparations, an unexpected narrative has started to unravel, one full of intrigue and speculations. Why would a man bid farewell to Test cricket days after he appeared to be fine-tuning the red-ball craft? That is what Australia women’s captain, Alyssa Healy, wondered on the Willow Talk podcast. Healy was in India for most of April and May as she joined her husband, Mitchell Starc, who had been playing for the Delhi Capitals.
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On Willow Talk, Australian broadcaster Adam Peacock offered something that sounded less like gossip and more like an informed nudge. “Given he doesn’t exactly need to play the final, pack his bags, and get out to England. I was speaking to someone in the last week with a knowledge of the situation, and I think there’s more to come in the whole story of the Gambhir-Kohli relationship,” Adam Peacock said.
Gautam Gambhir joined the Indian team as its head coach in 2024 after the side’s T20 World Cup triumph, and recently won his first title, the Champions Trophy in March this year. While Gambhir and Kohli have a history of tensions, they seemed to overcome the dynamics and even did an interview together after Gambhir was appointed the head coach. In the dressing room, the duo, on many occasions, was seen sitting together, too.
Sitting alongside Peacock was Alyssa Healy, who took the conversation into even murkier waters. “I saw a video of him hitting red balls during IPL. Something’s gone on in the last couple of weeks. I don’t know what it is. I was like, ‘interesting’. I don’t think he was ready to give it up. I would say that,” Healy replied.
BCCI wants Virat Kohli to return?
Privately, BCCI voices haven’t slammed the door shut. Arun Dhumal’s recent public nudge to Kohli, framed as a personal wish, had the subtext of someone who knew the book might still have a few pages left. And for a player like Kohli, who has often made high-stakes calls unexpectedly, from relinquishing the captaincy to skipping tours, this wouldn’t be the first time he pulls another one of those surprising calls.
None of this is definitive. Kohli remains officially retired from the longest format. He is not a part of India’s 18-member squad for the series in England. Following the IPL Final on Tuesday, the next time Kohli is likely to be seen in action would be in August, when Bangladesh visit India for a three-match ODI series.
