There is no guarantee that Virat Kohli will play five Tests against England later this year. The national selectors will take a call on his future with India National Cricket Team, as the player is 36 and is struggling to perform in red-ball cricket. In 10 Test matches in 2024, he scored 417 runs at an average of 24. There is a possibility of him playing the longest format for some time, as the veteran is still fit.
India will play the first game of the England series in June, and the players will head straight into the five-day format after the Indian Premier League 2025, which is not ideal preparation for the big Test assignment. There is no warm-up game scheduled for the visitors as of now.
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has told Virat to leave his confrontational attitude. Kohli was slammed when he shouldered Sam Konstas in the first innings of the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He was fined 20 percent of his match fee, and one demerit point was added to his record. He also took on Australian fans in the final game in Sydney. Chappell is confident that Kohli will return to form but urged the cricketer to stop getting involved in controversies.
“Kohli has played a lot in the UK, and his experience is needed. However, he will have to improve his performance with the bat and score runs consistently. He can give valuable suggestions to young players.
However, he will have to stop his senseless antics like shouldering the young Aussie opener Sam Konstas. If Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma decide to call it a day, it would leave India in big trouble in the UK,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.
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