‘Test cricket needs Virat…’: Brian Lara on Indian batting star

NEW DELHI: Legendary West Indies batter Brian Lara has said that cricket needs Virat Kohli amid speculation about the Indian star’s Test future. Taking to Instagram, Lara said Kohli would be persuaded not to quit Test cricket anytime soon.

“Test cricket needs Virat!! He is going to be persuaded. He is NOT going to retire from Test cricket. @virat.kohli is going to average above 60 for the remainder of his Test career,” Lara said.

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Recent reports suggested that the modern-day legend had informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of his intention to retire.

The reports flooded on Saturday, just two days after his long-time teammate Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Tests, just over a month before India kickstarts its ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign with five high-stakes Tests against England, at Headingley from June 20 onwards.

According to the reports, Virat has been having such conversations with the board over the past month or so. If Virat indeed retires, it would mark the end of an illustrious 14-year career in the format, during which he has struck a staggering 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries. He is also India’s most successful Test captain ever, having won 40 out of 68 Tests with the captaincy tag around his name.

Apart from Rohit, decorated off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket last year in the middle of the Australia tour. With middle-order veterans Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara no longer in the set-up for a while and a decline in senior pacer Mohammed Shami’s form after a long layoff from injury, Virat is the only senior around, alongside all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

Virat laboured for runs during his last Test outing in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour to Australia in November-January, where he made just 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75, with his century at Perth being a highlight. That century was his first since July 2023, when he hit a ton against the West Indies at Port of Spain in 2023. (ANI)