New Delhi: The legendary Kapil Dev wondered whether Virat Kohli, in a few years’ time, will start regretting his decision to quit Test cricket when he could have easily played for a couple more years.
The soon-to-be 38-year-old Kohli, who quit Test cricket in 2025 just before the start of the England series, needed only 770 runs to complete the 10,000-run milestone in the red-ball format.
“I feel sorry about him (Kohli) retiring from Test match. I don’t know why he did that. He was the best. As a spectator, as a former cricketer, I feel he should have played more Test cricket also because he has the ability,” Kapil told PTI in an exclusive interview.
The World Cup-winning iconic former India skipper has a feeling that once the dust settles down and Kohli turns back to look at his career, he might feel a tinge of regret.
“I don’t know if he is feeling bad today or not. He stopped playing. But I think in a few years, he will definitely feel why I did not play Test cricket a little more,” he wondered.
Kapil thought that with Kohli’s level of fitness, carrying on shouldn’t have been much of a problem.
“When you love the game, you have passion for the game; why retire when you can manage yourself. And I can understand T20 can be totally different. But one day in a Test match, that’s his cup of tea,” he added.
Kohli during his 55th ODI century, hit 10 fours and nine sixes, and Kapil predicted that if he plays for another 2-3 years, the remaining ODI records could also be broken. For the record, Kohli’s last tournament for India in all likelihood, will be the 2027 ODI World Cup.
“He is showing so much interest. The way he is playing, he is looking good. At this age, his fitness is the most important thing. And if he can keep himself fit for another 2-3 years, I think he can break all the records,” he added.
On whether he would advice him to come out of Test retirement, Kapil’s answer was an emphatic “No”.
“No, he should not come out of retirement. No, people like us should not even say that. That’s his call, not our call.”
Bumrah should try playing 3 formats
On the bowling front, Kapil, who never ever missed a Test match in his career due to injury or fitness issues, urged pace ace Jasprit Bumrah to try and play all formats simultaneously, something he doesn’t prefer doing due to workload management issues.
“I thought Bumrah can play all three kinds (of format). I think very few players can play all kinds of cricket. But I think the pool is so big, so selectors want to give a chance to everybody,” Kapil explained.
However, Kapil said he wants every player to listen to the demands of his body.
“Yes, I think every individual should know their body. What is right for them, they should try to do that,” he emphasised.
