An inquiry, but Kohli was done with format he loved

Before Virat Kohli dropped his Instagram post to tell the world he was done with Test cricket, a leading Indian cricket official made a polite inquiry, asking him if he had thought long and hard about the decision.

- Rasesh Mandani

MUMBAI:

"As I step away from this format, it's not easy — but it feels right," Kohli wrote. And with that, the 36-year-old called curtains to a career spanning 123 Tests of fierce desire—68 of them as India's most successful captain. It is understood, Kohli had initiated a conversation with chief selector Ajit Agarkar in April, during the course of IPL that he wanted to retire, according to one BCCI official. "Then, Kohli was told to wait and think it through," the official said.

Given the former captain's stature and what the void created by his absence would mean, senior board officials and head coach Gautam Gambhir are also known to have deliberated on the matter. Kohli was given time to think. But no one suggested going out of the way to help him change his mind.