 "Will Kohli make the cut for IND vs ENG Tests in June? What ahead for Virat")
The cricketing world finds itself at a crossroads, pondering whether Virat Kohli, the once invincible force in India’s batting lineup, will script a comeback or quietly step away from the Test arena.
A struggle that echoes through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Since the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar, Kohli has carried the baton of Indian cricket. Yet, in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the 36-year-old’s struggles became painfully apparent. In nine innings, Kohli fell to the same pattern—caught in the slip cordon or behind the stumps eight times—yelling at himself in frustration each time. His lone bright spot was a century in Perth and a gritty 36 in Melbourne.
| Top 10 highest run-getters for India in Tests | ||||||||||||||
| Player | Span | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 0 | 4s | 6s |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 1989-2013 | 200 | 329 | 33 | 15921 | 248* | 53.78 | 29437+ | 54.04 | 51 | 68 | 14 | 2058+ | 69 |
| Rahul Dravid | 1996-2012 | 163 | 284 | 32 | 13265 | 270 | 52.63 | 31184 | 42.53 | 36 | 63 | 7 | 1651 | 21 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | 1971-1987 | 125 | 214 | 16 | 10122 | 236* | 51.12 | 14184+ | 43.35 | 34 | 45 | 12 | 908+ | 26 |
| Virat Kohli | 2011-2025 | 123 | 210 | 13 | 9230 | 254* | 46.85 | 16608 | 55.57 | 30 | 31 | 15 | 1027 | 30 |
| VVS Laxman | 1996-2012 | 134 | 225 | 34 | 8781 | 281 | 45.97 | 17785 | 49.37 | 17 | 56 | 14 | 1135 | 5 |
| Virender Sehwag | 2001-2013 | 103 | 178 | 6 | 8503 | 319 | 49.43 | 10346 | 82.18 | 23 | 31 | 16 | 1219 | 90 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 1996-2008 | 113 | 188 | 17 | 7212 | 239 | 42.17 | 14070 | 51.25 | 16 | 35 | 13 | 900 | 57 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | 2010-2023 | 103 | 176 | 11 | 7195 | 206* | 43.6 | 16217 | 44.36 | 19 | 35 | 12 | 863 | 16 |
| Dilip Vengsarkar | 1976-1992 | 116 | 185 | 22 | 6868 | 166 | 42.13 | 10810+ | 41.56 | 17 | 35 | 15 | 509+ | 17 |
| Mohd Azharuddin | 1984-2000 | 99 | 147 | 9 | 6215 | 199 | 45.03 | 9892+ | 57.82 | 22 | 21 | 5 | 720+ | 19 |
Take away the 136 runs he scored in those two innings, and his total for the remaining seven knocks stands at a mere 54 runs. His dismissal to Scott Boland in the final Test, fishing at a back-of-length delivery in the dreaded "corridor of uncertainty", felt like the final nail in the coffin for a player once known for his precision and poise.
| Top 10 most run-getters for India in Tests+ODIs+T20Is | ||||||||||||||
| Player | Span | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 0 | 4s | 6s |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 1989-2013 | 664 | 782 | 74 | 34357 | 248* | 48.52 | 50817+ | 67.58 | 100 | 164 | 34 | 4076+ | 264 |
| Virat Kohli | 2008-2025 | 543 | 610 | 88 | 27324 | 254* | 52.34 | 34530 | 79.13 | 81 | 141 | 38 | 2698 | 305 |
| Rahul Dravid | 1996-2012 | 504 | 599 | 71 | 24064 | 270 | 45.57 | 46332 | 51.93 | 48 | 145 | 20 | 2593 | 66 |
| Rohit Sharma | 2007-2024 | 491 | 524 | 65 | 19398 | 264 | 42.26 | 22296 | 87 | 48 | 107 | 34 | 1868 | 624 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 1992-2008 | 421 | 485 | 40 | 18433 | 239 | 41.42 | 29305 | 62.9 | 38 | 106 | 29 | 2004 | 246 |
| MS Dhoni | 2004-2019 | 535 | 523 | 141 | 17092 | 224 | 44.74 | 21695 | 78.78 | 15 | 108 | 21 | 1469 | 352 |
| Virender Sehwag | 1999-2013 | 363 | 431 | 15 | 16892 | 319 | 40.6 | 18272 | 92.44 | 38 | 70 | 31 | 2354 | 237 |
| Mohd Azharuddin | 1984-2000 | 433 | 455 | 63 | 15593 | 199 | 39.77 | 22561+ | 66.92 | 29 | 79 | 14 | 1342+ | 96+ |
| Sunil Gavaskar | 1971-1987 | 233 | 316 | 30 | 13214 | 236* | 46.2 | 19150+ | 48.25 | 35 | 72 | 20 | 1142+ | 47+ |
| Yuvraj Singh | 2000-2017 | 399 | 388 | 54 | 11686 | 169 | 34.98 | 13986 | 83.55 | 17 | 71 | 26 | 1233 | 249 |
More mental than technical
Experts agree that Kohli’s woes appear to be mental rather than technical. His instincts seem hardwired to chase deliveries that should be left alone, a habit that has become his Achilles' heel.
Is retirement on the horizon?
Despite this career-low phase, Kohli reportedly has no intention of retiring and is eyeing a spot in the 2027 ODI World Cup squad. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has consistently backed the star batter to continue, but doubts linger among selectors.
One former selector questioned how Kohli plans to secure a place in the squad for the England tour in June without playing any significant red-ball cricket. "Selecting players for Tests in England based on Indian Premier League (IPL) form is impractical. They need proper red-ball preparation," he told to news agency PTI.
Domestic cricket dilemma
With the Ranji Trophy resuming on January 23, Delhi’s fixtures against Saurashtra and Railways could have provided Kohli a chance to return to domestic cricket. However, insiders suggest that Kohli may skip domestic cricket altogether.
The timing of India’s cricket calendar further complicates matters. A three-match One Day International (ODI) series against England, the Champions Trophy, and the IPL season leave little room for red-ball preparation. Unless Kohli opts out of the IPL for a county stint in England, his red-ball game may remain untested ahead of the tour.
| Virat Kohli runs in different Test playing nations | ||||||||||||||
| Host country | Span | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 0s | 4s | 6s |
| in Australia | 2011-2025 | 18 | 34 | 1 | 1542 | 169 | 46.72 | 2940 | 52.44 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 166 | 5 |
| in Bangladesh | 2015-2022 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 59 | 24 | 14.75 | 151 | 39.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| in England | 2014-2023 | 17 | 33 | 0 | 1096 | 149 | 33.21 | 2111 | 51.91 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 129 | 1 |
| in India | 2011-2024 | 55 | 87 | 9 | 4336 | 254* | 55.58 | 7311 | 59.3 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 474 | 16 |
| in New Zealand | 2014-2020 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 252 | 105* | 36 | 438 | 57.53 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 1 |
| in South Africa | 2013-2024 | 9 | 18 | 0 | 891 | 153 | 49.5 | 1649 | 54.03 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 117 | 3 |
| in Sri Lanka | 2015-2017 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 394 | 103* | 43.77 | 707 | 55.72 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 2 |
| in West Indies | 2011-2023 | 11 | 15 | 0 | 660 | 200 | 44 | 1301 | 50.73 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 64 | 2 |
The IPL conundrum
Kohli’s stature as one of the biggest brands in the IPL makes skipping the tournament unlikely. As captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), he is determined to lift the trophy—a dream that has eluded him so far.
A last shot at revival?
An alternative could be playing a few India A matches during their shadow tour of England before the senior team’s Test series, which begins at Leeds on June 18.
India’s full schedule for 2025
| India full schedule for 2025 | ||||
| Date | Match | Series | Venue | Time (IST) |
| Jan 22, 2025 | India vs England, 1st T20I | England tour of India, 2025 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 7:00 PM |
| Jan 25, 2025 | India vs England, 2nd T20I | England tour of India, 2025 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 7:00 PM |
| Jan 28, 2025 | India vs England, 3rd T20I | England tour of India, 2025 | Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot | 7:00 PM |
| Jan 31, 2025 | India vs England, 4th T20I | England tour of India, 2025 | Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 02, 2025 | India vs England, 5th T20I | England tour of India, 2025 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 06, 2025 | India vs England, 1st ODI | England tour of India, 2025 | Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur | 1:30 PM |
| Feb 09, 2025 | India vs England, 2nd ODI | England tour of India, 2025 | Barabati Stadium, Cuttack | 1:30 PM |
| Feb 12, 2025 | India vs England, 3rd ODI | England tour of India, 2025 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 1:30 PM |
| Feb 20, 2025 | Bangladesh vs India, 2nd Match, Group A | ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 | Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai | 2:30 PM |
| Feb 23, 2025 | Pakistan vs India, 5th Match, Group A | ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 | Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai | 2:30 PM |
| Mar 02, 2025 | New Zealand vs India, 12th Match, Group A | ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 | Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai | 2:30 PM |
| Jun 20-24, 2025 | England vs India, 1st Test | India tour of England, 2025 | Headingley, Leeds | 3:30 PM |
| Jul 02-06, 2025 | England vs India, 2nd Test | India tour of England, 2025 | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 3:30 PM |
| Jul 10-14, 2025 | England vs India, 3rd Test | India tour of England, 2025 | Lord's, London | 3:30 PM |
| Jul 23-27, 2025 | England vs India, 4th Test | India tour of England, 2025 | Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester | 3:30 PM |
| Jul 31-Aug 04, 2025 | England vs India, 5th Test | India tour of England, 2025 | Kennington Oval, London | 3:30 PM |