New Delhi– Former England captain Michael Vaughan has paid glowing tribute to Virat Kohli following the Indian star’s retirement from Test cricket, calling him the most influential figure in the format over the past three decades.
Kohli announced his retirement from Tests on Monday through a social media post, drawing the curtain on a remarkable career that saw him score 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. His highest score was an unbeaten 254.
“In more than 30 years, I don’t believe there is anyone who has done more for Test cricket than Virat,” Vaughan wrote in a column. “The format would have been far duller without him, and perhaps even in decline had he not shown the same passion and commitment he did.”
Vaughan contrasted Kohli’s tenure with that of his predecessor MS Dhoni, praising Dhoni’s white-ball legacy while noting the difference in leadership when it came to the longest format.
“When Virat took over as captain just over a decade ago, I worried that India was losing interest in Test cricket,” Vaughan said. “The game needs India to be madly in love with Tests, and that’s exactly the kind of enthusiasm Virat reignited.”
Kohli’s Test career included 28 matches against England, in which he scored 1,991 runs. His performances in English conditions—1,096 runs in 17 Tests, with two centuries and five fifties—were often under the spotlight, especially during the challenging tours of 2014 and 2018.
Vaughan also recalled Kohli’s fierce on-field rivalry with England pace great James Anderson, particularly their memorable battle at Edgbaston in 2018.
“Jimmy often had the edge over Kohli, and I thought with Virat nearing the twilight of his career, he might come out this summer with a flamboyant approach. But in England, we mostly saw his defensive resolve—his technique, patience, and precision,” Vaughan noted. “Elsewhere, though, he batted with astonishing aggression.”
Kohli’s departure from the Test arena marks the end of an era for Indian cricket and for global fans of the format who saw in him a fierce competitor and a passionate ambassador for the red-ball game. (Source: IANS)
