World Cup-winning captain former captain, Kapil Dev, has admitted it hurt him to see Virat Kohli walk away from Test cricket prematurely, suggesting the talismanic batsman may have made the momentous decision in a fit of anger. Speaking candidly on a podcast for SportsTak, Kapil expressed deep disappointment over the timing of Kohli’s exit, arguing that the former skipper still possesses the ability to cut it at the highest level of red-ball cricket.
The legendary all-rounder also drew a striking parallel between Kohli’s famously combative on-field persona and tennis icon John McEnroe, noting that both athletes required a sense of conflict to produce their finest performances.
“It is not about 10,000 runs,” Kapil said when reflecting on Kohli’s sudden retirement, which left him 770 runs short of the landmark.
“I felt that if, for six months, he did not let himself get carried away by anger and gave himself another chance to play for India… because once you stop playing for India, you do not get that opportunity again. After that, you can only talk about it.”
Kohli’s Test retirement came as a shock to the cricketing fraternity, catching many off guard just weeks before the start of India’s 2025 to 2027 World Test Championship cycle. The timing was particularly jarring given that the star batter had only recently returned to the domestic Ranji Trophy to signal his renewed commitment to the longest format, following a bruising tour of Australia earlier in 2025. Reports at the time indicated that selectors had informed Kohli his spot was no longer guaranteed, and that his place in the side for the subsequent tour of England would depend entirely on current form.
Kohli later hinted that he chose to walk away rather than remain in an environment where he felt constant pressure to prove his worth despite his glittering legacy.
Yet Kapil believes that top-tier athletes should resist making definitive choices while facing administrative friction. He pointed to Indian cricket history to show how past legends handled similar crossroads.
“When you are still playing, do not make such decisions or reactions in anger,” Kapil explained.
“I think he must have had his own thought process, and rightly so, he can do that. But if we are sitting outside and looking at it, we feel that he still had time. If the selectors did not pick you, no problem, give yourself some time. If the captain did not pick you, no problem, work hard and score more runs, like Mohinder Amarnath, Anshuman Gaekwad and others did. They went back and scored runs in domestic cricket.
“Just as you are performing in the IPL, or if you play in other tournaments, you will come back because he still has the ability to play Test cricket. It is not as if he does not. Even now, if you look at him, he can play. But he took the decision, and I felt a little disappointed that he took it before his time.”
HE REMINDS ME OF MCENROE: KAPIL
Reflecting to Kohli’s explosive temperament, Kapil admitted that while the batsman’s high-octane celebrations can occasionally feel excessive, they are essential to his genius.
“The only thing that feels a little odd is that he becomes a bit too charged up,” Kapil observed.
“But when I look at Virat, he reminds me of John McEnroe because, until he fought, he could not produce his best performances. I was not like that.”
Kapil contrasted this confrontational style with the serene, head-down approach of batting purists like Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, and Sachin Tendulkar, who let their performances do the talking.
“Then there are some players in sport who thrive on challenges,” Kapil added.
“That is why I took McEnroe’s name. He would always fight, whether it was with the referee. I could never do that. I was never capable of it. But it was nice to watch. You would think, ‘Look at the fire in him.’ Even when you watch Virat, sometimes you feel he should calm down a little, take it easy. But perhaps he feels that bringing out that aggression makes his performance better. If it does, then why not?”
– Ends
