“He said he’d get hundreds of points in the UK”: Aries Virat Kohli’nin surprise test output was stunned

Virat Kohli’s shock announcement to retire from Test cricket has sent ripples through the cricketing world — and among the most surprised was his former Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh. He oversaw Kohli’s Ranji Trophy return after a gap of 12 years. The former India off-spinner has revealed that Kohli showed “no signs at all” of calling time on his red-ball career, especially with the crucial England tour just weeks away.

Did Kohli actually want to retire?

“Not at all,” Sarandeep told Star Sports when asked if Kohli had hinted at retirement. “He came to play red-ball cricket (Ranji Trophy), so he had no thinking like that. Even at that time, he was talking about the England series and said he wanted to score maximum hundreds — like he did in 2018.”

The 36-year-old had even rejoined Delhi’s Ranji squad earlier this year, featuring in the fixture against Railways — a move seen as preparation for the challenging five-Test series in England, which also marks the beginning of India’s WTC 2025–27 campaign. Although the Ranji Trophy appearance didn’t prove fruitful for Kohli, it stated that the modern-day great is still thinking highly about the Test format.

“We all thought he’d be on the England tour. He’s one of the fittest and most senior players. Especially in England, you need that kind of experience. Without him, I don’t know how this Indian team will manage,” Sarandeep added.