Former Bengal cricketer Shreevats Goswami and an ex-RCB teammate of Virat Kohli reckoned that the former India Test captain should have continued playing the longest format of the game and may have left the ODIs on the way. Looking at the current state of Indian batting in the ongoing series against South Africa and the lack of inspiration in the field, with the Proteas scoring 749 runs in the Test match across two innings, Goswami mentioned that the passion and energy Kohli brought, the current team would have been better with it.
"Ideally Virat should have left playing ODIs & continued playing test cricket until he had nothing to give. Test cricket misses him," Goswami wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "Not just as a player but just the energy he brought, the love & passion playing for India, where he made the team believe that they can win in any condition," Goswami added.
Kohli, the most successful Test captain for India, led the side to 40 wins in 68 matches he captained in red-ball cricket and even when he wasn't the captain, the energy and aggression he brought onto the field was second to none, always in the face of the opposition and not letting his guard down. However, after a couple of disappointing series - at home against New Zealand and away against Australia - Kohli decided to call it a day from Tests in May earlier this year.
Kohli fell 770 runs short of his dream of completing 10,000 runs and is only active in ODI cricket at the highest level, having retired from T20Is after last year's T20 World Cup.
Kohli is still going strong in the ODIs, having slammed his 51st ton in the format earlier this year in March in the Champions Trophy against Pakistan. The 37-year-old made his comeback recently last month against Australia and after scoring two consecutive ducks, Kohli played an unbeaten 74 in a successful run-chase for India in the decider.
