‘If only he had stayed away from anger…’: Kapil Dev’s big confession on Virat Kohli’s Test exit

It has been over a year since Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket, a decision that continues to spark debate among fans and former cricketers. Kapil Dev, the 1983 World Cup winner, joined the discussion and admitted he was disappointed to see Kohli retire from the longest format, insisting the former India captain still has the ability to represent the country in red-ball cricket.Kohli brought down the curtain on his illustrious Test career on 12 May 2025, ending a remarkable journey of 14 years. He finished with 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, including 30 centuries, and remains India’s most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches. The batting great walked away ahead of India’s tour of England saying he had “given everything” to the format.Reflecting on Kohli’s decision, Kapil said he would prefer the star batsman to continue playing instead of spending time on his Test career.“I wasn’t happy when he retired from Test cricket. It’s not about 10,000 runs or any milestone. I felt if he stayed away from reacting in anger for six months, there was a good chance he would play for India again,” Kapil told Sports Tak.

‘Come back, work hard and come back’

The legendary all-rounder believes that Kohli should have remained patient even when he faced disappointment from the selectors or the team management.“If the selectors didn’t pick him, that’s fine. If the captain didn’t pick him, that’s fine. Come back, work hard, score runs in domestic cricket or wherever you play. He would come back because he still has the ability of a Test match player,” Kapil said.Kapil also compared Kohli’s fiery personality on the court to that of tennis legend John McEnroe, suggesting that some elite athletes perform at their best when fueled by emotion and confrontation.“He had that ability, even if he was a bit too enthusiastic at times. Looking at Virat, I am reminded of John McEnroe. Unless he was fighting, he couldn’t perform at his best,” Kapil said.“Some players like Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin keep their heads down and let their performances do the talking. But others accept challenges and thrive with that intensity. That’s why I mentioned McEnroe. He was constantly arguing with the umpire. I never got to do it, but it was fascinating to watch,” he added.

Kohli is now focusing on ODI cricket

Although retired from Tests and T20Is, Kohli continues to represent India in ODIs and will feature in the upcoming three ODIs against England from 14 July.