Former RCB wicket-keeper batter Shreevats Goswami has expressed a strong opinion, stating that Virat Kohli should have retired from ODIs and carried on playing Test cricket—but chose the opposite. This comes after India has been having a bit of an unstable home Test series against South Africa recently.
What Exactly Did Goswami Say?
Goswami felt that Kohli’s energies and passion were sorely missed in the Test team. “Ideally, Virat should have left playing ODIs & continued playing Test cricket till he had nothing to give,” he wrote on X. He felt that Kohli brought much more than only runs to the Test team – his mere presence created “energy … belief,” and made the team feel they could win anywhere.
Ideally Virat should have left playing ODIs & continued playing test cricket untill he had nothing to give. Test cricket misses him. Not just as a player but just the energy he brought, the love & passion playing for 🇮🇳 where he made the team believe that they can win in any…
— Shreevats goswami (@shreevats1) November 24, 2025
Why Are People Talking About This Now?
The Indian Test team is under pressure at the moment. During their first innings in the second Test against South Africa, India witnessed a batting collapse, after which the visitors took a huge lead in the match. Only Yashasvi Jaiswal (58) and Washington Sundar (48) were able to resist, while others in the middle order succumbed to continuously increasing pressure.
On the bowling front, an incisive spell by Marco Jansen, a brutal 6/48, and three from Simon Harmer have raised questions about India’s technique, temperament, and experience. These are facets proponents feel Kohli could have still made a difference in.
Could Kohli’s Return to Tests Have Really Made a Difference?
More than just run scoring, Goswami’s argument is based on Kohli’s leadership in attitude, fitness, and competitive fire that elevates the whole team. Now, with India’s top order looking fragile and with young batters falling cheaply, some analysts agree that his experience could have stabilized innings in testing conditions.
There are, however, counterpoints. Kohli has spoken of workload management often enough, particularly in light of how demanding cricket tours across formats have become. A return to the longer format would have translated into more travel, wear and tear, and less time to rest. Furthermore, returns to Test cricket are never a matter of plain selection: form, team balance, and long-term strategy make the process fairly more complicated.
What is the current test situation in India?
Going into the last days of the second Test, South Africa has an over 300-run lead and so places a huge responsibility on India to reply. If things start to go wrong, the home series might slip away, taking confidence further down the bottom.
As the Test side falters, voices like Goswami’s are getting louder: people want to know whether India is making the right choices as far as player management and team composition are concerned.
