'Cannot Replace His...': Ex-India Cricketer Says Virat Kohli Had A Different Aura

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Last Updated:May 14, 2025, 15:19 IST

Apart from his superlative batting, Virat Kohli was supremely acceptable and rather assertive connected the field.

Virat Kohli scored 30 centuries during his Test career. (PTI Photo)

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes the broadside whitethorn find a batter who tin regenerate the recently-retired Virat Kohli successful the Test team, but replacing that passionate tone showcased by the talismanic batter of playing the longer format volition beryllium hard to produce.

In an Instagram station connected Monday, Kohli announced that helium volition beryllium retiring from Tests with contiguous effect, ending a 14-year vocation worthy 9,230 runs successful 123 matches astatine an mean of 46.85. His determination arrived conscionable 5 days aft his seasoned team-mate, India skipper Rohit Sharma, retired from Test cricket.

“Many radical judge we volition ne'er beryllium capable to regenerate Virat Kohli but I don’t deliberation so. I person seen Sunil Gavaskar past Sachin Tendulkar and past Virat Kohli. Given the wide of endowment India has and has received done the Indian Premier League, a batch of players look each year.

“We whitethorn beryllium capable to regenerate Virat Kohli – the batter, but we volition ne'er beryllium capable to regenerate Virat Kohli – the passionate player, the passionateness helium showed connected the ground, the vigor aft each ball, the sledging helium produced, we whitethorn not beryllium capable to regenerate that player. We person got Shubman Gill, Reddy scored a century, KL Rahul’s comeback, Rishabh Pant is fantastic successful Tests and Yashasvi Jaiswal," said Kaif.

The retirements of Rohit and Kohli, on with Ravichandran Ashwin quitting the format past year, means India are entering a caller epoch successful Tests erstwhile they look England successful a five-match Test series, starting connected June 20 astatine Headingley.

Right-handed batter Shubman Gill has been wide seen arsenic a front-runner to pb a new-look Indian Test squad successful England. Gill is besides amongst the candidates to bat astatine fig 4 successful Kohli’s place, with Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar, Karun Nair and Dhruv Jurel besides successful the mix.

“You spot Gill’s coolness and calmness successful the IPL but Virat Kohli had a antithetic aura, helium utilized to transportation the emblem connected his chest. We whitethorn not beryllium capable to find that passionateness again. He utilized to privation to triumph astatine each costs, encouraging the players to beryllium aggressive, and asked his clip to rainfall hellhole connected his opponents.

“The sacrifices helium made for the country, his fittingness crossed the 5 days, we whitethorn not beryllium capable to ever regenerate that. The full satellite has acknowledged him aft his retirement, everyone is singing his praises. Whenever helium came onto the tract helium did it to win, helium ne'er played for a gully whether arsenic a subordinate oregon arsenic a skipper which is simply a acquisition for the youngsters," concluded Kaif.

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News cricket 'Cannot Replace His...': Ex-India Cricketer Says Virat Kohli Had A Different Aura