Nasser Hussain believes India batter Virat Kohli transformed the way his country plays Test cricket through his “aura, swagger, and passion,” leaving his successors with big boots to fill.
The 36-year-old announced his Test retirement on Monday, bringing down the curtain on a sparkling career in the longest format just days after captain Rohit Sharma did the same.
Kohli scored 9,230 runs in 123 Tests to stand fourth in India’s all-time list of Test run-scorers, and captained his side in 68 of his Tests, winning 40 of them.
“I have been a massive Virat Kohli fan over the last 14 years – his stats speak for themselves – but he was so much more than that,” Hussain said on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast.
“It was his aura, swagger, and passion. We know Indian cricket fans, and the game means so much to them.
Back in 2017, Nasser Hussain spoke with India’s batting great, Virat Kohli, about his approach to batting and mastery of the run chase.
“They want their captain to show them what it means to the team, and no one embodied that passion for cricket in India more than Kohli. He was an unbelievable player.
“For the legends of the game, they can’t get away from media scrutiny. They are in that goldfish bowl all the time.
“He took India to No 1 in the world, and they stayed there for about 42 months. He completely changed the way they play cricket.
“Whoever takes on that mantle has got something to live up to.”
After India’s T20 World Cup triumph last June, Kohli retired from the format, but he is still expected to continue in ODIs, where he has amassed a record-breaking 51 centuries.
Kohli, the most followed Asian cricketer on Instagram with more than 271 million followers, made 30 Test tons and was often held up as one of the four greatest batters of the modern age alongside England’s Joe Root, Australia’s Steve Smith, and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson.
Dinesh Karthik praises Virat Kohli after the India batter announced his retirement from Test cricket.
Kohli was known for his ability to perform in a run-chase and would thrive under the pressure, and this hunger made him popular among fans and a thorn for whoever faced him.
“He is the ultimate winner, he sees the end goal as a win, and he is desperate for that,” Hussain added.
“Everything for Kohli is about winning. Why do you think he’s so good in run chases?
“He can’t go on the field and not be a hundred per cent, he can’t ever go: ‘I’ll just do my best today.’
“That may have formed part of his retirement decision, he doesn’t want to be a normal cricketer, just doing a little bit here and there. He made India into the force they are today.”
Dinesh Karthik says Virat Kohli was a ‘pivotal player’ in the game after the India batter announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing down the curtain on a sparkling career in the longest format.
Atherton: Kohli’s energy and passion never dimmed
Kohli’s retirement, along with Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin’s, signals a shift in Indian cricket with the team now looking to regenerate.
“You couldn’t take your eyes off Kohli, that’s what I always felt like watching him,” Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton said.
“It was noticeable to me that in his retirement statement, he referenced the challenges that Test cricket had given him.
“I loved watching him play every day of his 123 Tests. He put his heart and soul into Test cricket, and that energy and passion never seemed to dim.
“It feels as though at the start of a new World Test Championship cycle, this is the moment that India will start to regenerate and reshape their team.
“We’re not sure who is going to take his place at No 4 yet, and you kind of pity the person who has to follow because you’ve just had about 15 years of Kohli and before that, it was Sachin Tendulkar.”
England vs India Test schedule
All games at 11am UK and Ireland; all live on Sky Sports
- First Test: Friday June 20-Tuesday June 24 – Headingley
- Second Test: Wednesday July 2-Sunday July 6 – Edgbaston
- Third Test: Thursday July 10-Monday July 14 – Lord’s
- Fourth Test: Wednesday July 23-Sunday July 27 – Emirates Old Trafford
- Fifth Test: Thursday July 31-Monday August 4 – The Kia Oval
This news was originally published on this post .
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