Indian legend Virat Kohli called time on his Test career last year in May, bringing an end to a dazzling 14-year career. The batting great made the announcement ahead of India's tour of England, ending his career as the fourth-highest run-scorer for India in the format. Overall Kohli finished his Test career with 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries.
Meanwhile, reflecting on Kohli's decision, India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev expressed disappointment, saying that Kohli retired pretty early, as he still possesses the ability to contribute more to the nation.
"It is not about 10,000 runs. I felt that if he had kept himself away from anger and not quit, because you will not get the opportunity to play for India again. Then, you can only talk about it," Kapil said on SportsTak.
Kohli's retirement came as a shock because nobody had imagined that Kohli would bid adieu to Test cricket so soon. Recently, speaking about his decision, Kohli had suggested that he didn't like to be in an environment where he felt relentless pressure to prove his worth. Meanwhile, Kapil Dev also underlined that players should not take such serious decisions in haste.
"When you are still playing, do not make any reaction in anger," Kapil Dev said.
"He must have had his own thought process, and rightly so, he can do that. But if we are sitting outside, we feel that he still had time. If the selectors did not pick you, no problem. Give yourself time. If the captain did not pick you, no problem. You work hard go and get more runs, like Mohinder Amarnath, Anshuman Gaekwad and others did. They went back and scored runs in domestic cricket. Just as you are performing in the IPL, or if you play in other tournaments, you will come back because he still has the ability to play Test cricket," Kapil Dev said.