Kapil Dev Draws McEnroe Parallel For Virat Kohli, Opens Up On His Test Exit

Kapil Dev Says Virat Kohli Retired From Tests ‘Before His Time’, Likens His Aggression To John McEnroe

Former India captain Kapil Dev believes Virat Kohli called time on his Test career too early, saying the batting icon still had enough left in the tank to succeed in the longest format. The 1983 World Cup-winning skipper also suggested Kohli may have let emotions influence his decision and urged players not to make career-defining choices in moments of frustration.

Speaking on the SportsTak podcast, Kapil said Kohli should have waited before stepping away from Test cricket, insisting there is no second chance once a player retires from representing India.

“It is not about 10,000 runs,” Kapil said, referring to Kohli ending his Test career 770 runs short of the landmark.

“I felt that if, for six months, he had not let himself get carried away by anger and given himself another chance to play for India… because once you stop playing for India, you do not get that opportunity again. After that, you can only talk about it.”

Kohli’s retirement ahead of India’s new World Test Championship cycle came as a surprise, especially after he had returned to domestic cricket earlier in the year. Reports had suggested the selectors wanted the former captain to earn his place back through performances, while Kohli later indicated he no longer wanted to remain in an environment where he constantly had to prove himself.

While acknowledging that Kohli had every right to make his own decision, Kapil maintained that the 36-year-old still possessed the quality to excel in Test cricket.

“When you are still playing, do not make such decisions or reactions in anger,” Kapil said.

“He must have had his own thought process, and he had every right to take that decision. But from the outside, we feel he still had time. If the selectors did not pick you, no problem. Give yourself some time. If the captain did not pick you, work harder and score runs, just as Mohinder Amarnath, Anshuman Gaekwad and others did. They went back to domestic cricket, performed and came back.”

Kapil reiterated that Kohli’s ability was never in doubt.

“He still has the ability to play Test cricket. Even now, if you watch him bat, you can see he belongs at that level. That is why I felt disappointed that he retired before his time.”

‘Virat Reminds Me Of John McEnroe’

Kapil also opened up on Kohli’s fiery on-field personality, drawing comparisons with tennis great John McEnroe, whose confrontational style became a hallmark of his career.

“The only thing that sometimes feels a little odd is that he gets a bit too charged up,” Kapil said.

“But when I look at Virat, he reminds me of John McEnroe because, until he fought, he could not produce his best performances. I was not like that.”

Kapil contrasted Kohli’s aggressive approach with the calmer demeanour of batting legends Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar, but stressed that different champions are driven by different motivations.

“There are some players in sport who thrive on challenges. That is why I mentioned McEnroe. He was always ready for a fight, whether it was with the umpire or someone else. I could never do that, but it was fascinating to watch. Sometimes, when you watch Virat, you feel he should calm down a little. But perhaps that aggression brings out the best in him. If it helps him perform better, then why not?”