“Don’t expect to play all the five” - Former England bowler’s massive claim on Virat Kohli’s retirement ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests
Former England spinner Monty Panesar believes the Indian management played a massive role in Virat Kohli's stunning Test retirement last month. The 36-year-old followed skipper Rohit Sharma in announcing his retirement from Tests ahead of the upcoming five-Test tour of England.
Kohli finished as India's fourth all-time leading run-scorer and century-maker in Tests. However, his recent form left a lot to be desired, with only three centuries in his last 39 Tests since 2020.
Talking about Kohli's Test retirement in an interview with Hindustan Times, Panesar said:
"I think he was definitely going to play. I think England were expecting, everyone was expecting him to play. I'm surprised he's kind of like bailed out. But maybe the fact that outside off-stump, he's just thinking, well, you know, they may have had a word with him. They said, look, if you don't score well in the first couple of Test matches, don't expect to play all the five. So, he's probably thinking, well, I'll just call it a day and give the youngsters a go."
Kohli had participated in India's last three English Test tours, including captaining the side in the previous two.
"It would depend on how Karun Nair performs" - Monty Panesar on India-England series
Monty Panesar believes the Indian middle order will be key to the side's performance in the upcoming five-Test series, starting June 20. The former spinner mentioned the recalled right-hander Karun Nair as India's potential game-changer in the series.
"It would depend on how Karun Nair performs, he scored a double-hundred against the England Lions. He and Shubman Gill, that middle-order, how they bat. I think the batters who've played county cricket, if they are able to then transform that same form at the international level, then I think India have got a chance to win," said Panesar (via aforementioned source).
He added:
"But if they just somehow freeze, it's the big stage, it's the crowd, it's playing for India, it's not playing for Surrey or some other county, and suddenly they're not playing the same level like it's for England Lions when there's only like a dog and, you know, one man and his dog. That, I think, is going to be the deciding factor in how they take on the international arena. If they take it on like they're doing right now, then I think India have got a chance of winning it."
Nair continued his incredible domestic form with a brilliant 204 in the ongoing clash between India A and Lions at Canterbury.