Why did Virat Kohli retire a few days before the announcement of India squad for the England tour? Well, only the legend himself can best answer that, but then former spinner Monty Panesar has his own take. The latter feels, that Kohli bailed out of the series, that begins on June 20 in Headingly.
Virat Kohli Retired Due to Fear of Failure?
Panesar added, that Virat Kohli could have been given an ultimatum by the team management, which is when the batter decided to call it a day. “I think he was definitely going to play. I think England were expecting, everyone was expecting him to play. I’m surprised he’s kind of like bailed out.
Chance for Others to Shine
“But maybe the fact that outside off-stump, he’s just thinking, well, you know, they may have had a word with him. They said, look, if you don’t score well in the first couple of Test matches, don’t expect to play all the five. So, he’s probably thinking, well, I’ll just call it a day and give the youngsters a go,” Panesar told Hindustan Times.
Nonetheless, this would be a great chance for Indian youngsters like Karun Nair, and the newly appointed skipper Shubman Gill. “It would depend on how Karun Nair performs, he scored a double-hundred against the England Lions. He and Shubman Gill, that middle-order, how they bat. I think the batters who’ve played county cricket, if they are able to then transform that same form at the international level, then I think India have got a chance to win,” he added.
The post Did Virat Kohli “bail out” of the England tour? Former England spinner thinks so appeared first on Inside Sport India.