Brian Lara Urges Virat Kohli to Continue Test Cricket Amid Retirement Speculations

Brian Lara's Support for Virat Kohli

Renowned West Indies cricketer Brian Lara has expressed that the sport of cricket requires Virat Kohli, especially with ongoing discussions regarding the Indian star's future in Test matches.

In a recent Instagram post, Lara conveyed his belief that Kohli will not retire from Test cricket anytime soon.

"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," Lara stated.

A post shared by Brian Lara (@brianlaraofficial)

Speculation arose recently that Kohli had communicated his retirement intentions to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

These rumors surfaced just two days after his teammate Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket, ahead of India's ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign, which begins with five crucial Tests against England starting June 20 at Headingley.

Potential Retirement of Virat Kohli

Reports indicate that Kohli has been in discussions with the board regarding his retirement over the past month. Should he decide to retire, it would conclude a remarkable 14-year career in Test cricket, during which he amassed an impressive 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. He also holds the record as India's most successful Test captain, winning 40 out of 68 matches.

In addition to Rohit, celebrated off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket last year during the Australia tour.

With veterans Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara absent from the current setup and senior pacer Mohammed Shami experiencing a dip in form following an injury layoff, Kohli remains one of the few senior players alongside all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

Kohli struggled for runs in his last Test series during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia from November to January, 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 in Port of Spain.