Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary opened up about star batter Virat Kohli’s sudden Test retirement, claiming the modern great was ill-treated by the team management and forced to step away to protect his integrity and self-respect. Tiwary’s comments come months after Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirements from the longest format in quick succession, just ahead of India’s Test tour of England.
Tiwary stated that Kohli had no intention of walking away from Test cricket and was instead
pushed out by a deteriorating team environment. He stressed that players who have served Indian cricket with passion do not quit voluntarily, but are forced to leave when they feel disrespected.
"Those who are passionate, who have done so much with honesty for this team, if they get ill-treated like this, then they will keep their integrity and self-respect and leave the team themselves," Tiwary told SportsTak.
Virat Kohli's tenure as captain had immense contributions to this team: Manoj Tiwary
The former also spoke about Kohli’s legacy as a Test captain, pointing out that he remains India’s most successful leader in the format in terms of winning percentage. He further stressed Rohit Sharma’s achievements, including leading India to two ICC trophies. Tiwary, however, feels Kohli’s contributions as a leader and player cannot be diminished and stated how Kohli transformed India into a strong overseas Test team.
"Obviously, Rohit is a better captain and has won the ICC Trophy. But before that, during Virat Kohli's tenure [as captain], he has had immense contributions to this team. He has achieved a lot of a captain in terms of the team. Today, the highest successful winning percentage in test cricket is Virat Kohli. After that, Rohit Sharma emerged as a player-captain and won India the Champions Trophy. And that bonding within the team is evident, the kind of rapport they share with the players," Tiwari added.
While Kohli has exited from the longest format of the game, his performances in ODIs continue to excel. In the ongoing New Zealand ODI series, he smashed 93 off 91 balls to guide India to a successful chase of 300 in the series opener. That knock helped him displace Rohit to reclaim the No. 1 spot in the ICC men’s ODI batting rankings for the 11th time in his career.
Kohli’s recent ODI form has been exceptional, with scores of 74*, 135, 102, 65*, and now 93. Meanwhile, Rohit has had a decent outing with 26 in the same match and slipped to third in the rankings. The three-match ODI series against New Zealand is currently leveled at 1-1, with the final game set to be played in Indore on Sunday.
