Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru wicketkeeper-batter Shreevats Goswami has reignited debate over Virat Kohli’s May 2025 Test retirement, declaring that the Indian icon should have quit ODIs instead and continued leading the red-ball charge. Posting on X amid India’s crumbling first innings in the second Test against South Africa at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Goswami wrote, “Ideally, Virat should have left playing ODIs & continued playing test cricket until he had nothing to give. Test cricket misses him. Not just as a player but just the energy he brought, the love & passion for playing for India, where he made the team believe that they can win in any condition.” His comments quickly gained traction as India slumped to 201 all out, trailing by 288 runs on Day 3.
Kohli, who stepped away from Test captaincy in 2022 and retired from the format entirely after the 2024-25 home season against England, ended with 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85, including 29 hundreds. The 37-year-old remains active in ODIs and is expected to spearhead India’s 2027 World Cup campaign, but many fans and analysts now view his Test exit as premature, especially after successive home series setbacks—a 0-3 loss to New Zealand in 2024 and the looming possibility of a 0-2 defeat to South Africa.
On a lively Guwahati pitch offering unexpected bounce, Marco Jansen ripped through India with career-best figures of 6-48, while Simon Harmer claimed 3-64. Only Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 off 97) and Washington Sundar (48 off 92) crossed forty, as the middle order—KL Rahul (22), Sai Sudharsan (15), captain Rishabh Pant (7), Ravindra Jadeja (6), and Nitish Kumar Reddy (10)—collapsed spectacularly. South Africa opted against the follow-on and reached 26-0 in eight overs by stumps, extending their overall lead to 314 with Aiden Markram (12 not out) and Ryan Rickelton (13 not out) at the crease.
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Goswami’s remarks echo a wider sentiment that Kohli’s presence would have injected belief into a batting lineup that has looked fragile since his departure. Under Kohli, India achieved historic series wins in Australia (2018-19 and 2020-21) and breached England’s fortress at The Oval and Lord’s. Current captain Rishabh Pant has faced intense scrutiny for both his reckless seven-ball dismissal and tactical decisions, amplifying nostalgia for Kohli’s intense, win-at-all-costs leadership.
With two days remaining and India staring at their second home series defeat in 12 months, pressure mounts on the transitional side ahead of a demanding tour of Australia in 2026-27. Social media trends calling for Kohli’s Test comeback have surged, though the star himself has repeatedly stated he is at peace with his decision and wants the younger generation to take ownership.
As South Africa closes in on their first Test series victory in India since 2000-01, the Guwahati Test has become a stark reminder of the void left by Kohli’s bat and aura in whites. Whether the debate prompts a dramatic U-turn remains unlikely, but it underscores how deeply his absence is felt in Indian cricket’s longest format.
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