King Kohli: A force of nature

Speculation was rife for several months that Virat Kohli's Test career was nearing its end. Yet, when the immensely popular 36-year-old announced his retirement from red-ball cricket, it caught everybody by surprise, especially because it was sprung upon the world within five days of his teammate Rohit Sharma calling it a day.

- Saibal Chatterjee

The simultaneous departure of the two contemporary greats from the Test arena will doubtless leave a crater-size hole in the Indian batting lineup. But, then, when have the country's cricket administrators been known to preside over smooth transitions?

Why did Kohli matter? He was a crowd-puller, an entertainer celebrated at once for his fitness and flamboyance, his commitment and volatility. His achievements as a batsman and captain in Test cricket, as also in the two other formats of the game, are legendary, but his struggles in the last five years of his career have been nothing short of baffling.

The first decade of Kohli's 14-year career was exceptional, making him one of the finest batters of his generation. Going by the exceptionally high standards that he set, it remains a mystery why he suddenly lost his mojo post-2020.

Kohli was at his peak until the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world. He was an all-conquering force, the very best of the best. Part of the “Fab Four” of world cricket that included England's Joe Root, Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand's Kane Williamson, he always had his nose slightly ahead of the rest. And then the slump happened.