New Delhi– Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott has called Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket a “devastating blow” to India, saying his absence is far more impactful than that of Rohit Sharma. Both veterans stepped away from the longest format in May, just ahead of India’s five-match Test series against England, beginning at Headingley.
In his column for The Daily Telegraph, Boycott wrote that while Rohit Sharma was a classy batsman, it is Kohli’s departure that truly weakens India’s chances of winning in England.
“The retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hurts the chances of India beating England,” Boycott wrote. “Kohli is the biggest loss as he has been their best batsman and talisman in all three formats.”
Kohli, 36, ends his red-ball career with 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, ranking fourth among India’s all-time leading Test scorers. Rohit, who opened the innings and also captained across formats, had a solid if not spectacular record in Tests, according to Boycott.
“Rohit was a superb batsman—at his best, a beautiful stroke player—but he won’t be missed as much as Kohli because his Test record was good rather than exceptional. In the last couple of years, his batting had become a bit inconsistent, which is not surprising in your late 30s.”
Boycott also noted that Rohit, unlike Kohli, was not a natural athlete, and the physical and mental demands of opening in England likely contributed to his decision to step away.
“You really have to be up for the challenge to succeed as an opener in England. The wear and tear of opening and leading in all formats wore him down.”
Turning to England’s chances in the upcoming series, Boycott urged Ben Stokes and his team to refine their aggressive “Bazball” approach.
“England should beat India if they temper Bazball and use some common sense,” he said. “It’s been thrilling to watch at times, but reckless batting has also cost them matches.”
He criticized the team’s one-dimensional approach and pointed out that England’s failure to reach any of the past three World Test Championship (WTC) finals—held on home soil—should serve as a wake-up call.
“It’s no use telling us how good you are when you’ve missed out on three straight WTC finals. England need to realize that being a winner is better than being just an entertainer. If you can do both, great. But right now, they’re a one-trick pony.”
He concluded with a direct message to England’s players: “Get your act together, bring your best game, and apply some cricketing nous.” (Source: IANS)
