India’s preparations for their summer tour of England have been dealt a fresh blow with the news Virat Kohli could follow Rohit Sharma in walking away from Test cricket
Officials from India’s cricket board have been locked in month-long talks with talisman Virat Kohli in an effort to convince the former captain to rethink his plans to retire from Test cricket. The 36-year-old is understood to have informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India of his decision to quit the red ball game, with captain Rohit Sharma announcing his own retirement earlier in the week.
India are due to take on England in a Test series this summer, with the first match taking place at Headingley in June. Kohli’s plans represent a fresh blow for the touring side, coming hot on the heels of Rohit’s announcement.
According to The Telegraph, the BCCI have asked Kohli to reconsider – at least for long enough to provide vital experience for the England tour. He made his one-day debut as a teenager in 2008, with his test debut following three years later against the West Indies, going on to rack up more than a century of Test caps.
Shubman Gill has been tipped to be installed as captain in time for the Headingley Test. Rohit, 38, has been Test captain since 2022 but confirmed during the week that the spell is coming to an end.
“It has been an absolute honour to represent my country in whites,” he wrote on social media. “Thank you for all of the love and support over the years.”
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BCCI chair Roger Binny paid tribute to the outgoing skipper. “He brought a sense of calm and assurance to the team – both as a player and as a captain,” he said.
“His ability to stay composed under pressure and to consistently put the team’s needs above his own made him a truly special player and leader. Indian cricket has been fortunate to have a figure like Rohit – someone who upheld the highest standards of professionalism and sportsmanship.”
England and India have already faced off in other formats in 2025. England travelled to India for a set of one-day and T20 internationals, with the hosts dominating.
It was a whitewash in the three-ODI series, with England setting an unwanted record in the second match. It was the 28th occasion on which they have scored 300 runs in the format and lost, with a return of 304 runs not enough.
There was more one-way traffic in the T20 series, with India prevailing by a 4-1 margin. Englnd’s sole win came in the third of five matches, with Ben Duckett top-scoring with 51 before India failed to chase down England’s 171 total.
England will prepare for this summer’s series with a one-off Test against Zimbabwe at the end of May. There is also a home ODI and T20 series against the West Indies on the horizon, with those games wrapped up by June 10.
