Overview:
Virat Kohli marked his return to the Indian team with two hundreds in the first two matches against South Africa.
Mohammad Kaif has dismissed any chances of Virat Kohli reversing his retirement decision from Test cricket. Kohli, after a glittering career, announced his retirement from Tests before the England tour. Despite talks that the BCCI might consider bringing him back after India’s 0-2 series loss to South Africa, Kaif is confident that Kohli will not make a U-turn.
The BCCI quickly quashed any talk of Virat Kohli’s return to Test cricket, with the batter speaking about his commitment to limited-overs formats after the Ranchi ODI. In a discussion on his YouTube channel, Mohammed Kaif highlighted that Kohli is known for being resolute in his choices, pointing to his decision to never return to the RCB captaincy after resigning.
“Kohli is someone who stands by the decisions he makes. While many players have reversed their retirements, Kohli isn’t one of them. Even when he stepped down as IPL captain, there were calls for him to return, but he chose not to. He made the call and supported a younger player, with Patidar taking over as captain,” he said.
“He dares to stick to his decisions. Once he makes a choice, no matter the circumstances, he won’t reverse it. People may want him back, but once he commits to a decision, he’s a man of his word, and he won’t change his mind,” he added.
Virat Kohli marked his return to the Indian team with two hundreds in the first two matches against South Africa. Kaif noted that Kohli’s knock reflected his dominance, and had he continued in the same vein, he might have even posted a double hundred. Despite the intense pressure, Kaif pointed out that Kohli chose to take an aggressive approach from the very beginning, rather than playing it safe.
“Despite not playing for a month and lacking recent form, his performance demonstrated total control. He was batting on his terms and could have easily scored a double century, but had to adjust his tempo when wickets fell. It’s rare to see a player in such a mood. At this stage, people are quick to judge him and wait for him to get out, which makes it extremely tough for a cricketer. Most players would play it safe, focusing on securing their place, but he didn’t approach it like that. That’s what makes him great,” he concluded.
Kohli is all set to take the field in the third ODI between India and South Africa.