When a star shines as bright as Virat Kohli, the rumour mill never sleeps. His sudden retirement from Test cricket earlier this year was one of the most shocking decisions in modern Indian cricket, and it took barely a few months for whispers of a dramatic U-turn to flood social media.
Kohli looked in vintage touch in Ranchi, stroking a majestic 135 in the first ODI against South Africa, and that alone was enough to fuel speculation that India’s greatest Test batter of this generation might consider returning to the format where India have stumbled badly since his exit. A 2-0 home whitewash to South Africa, the second in 12 months, has left Indian cricket reeling, and many believe a Kohli comeback could steady a sinking ship.
BCCI shuts down Kohli’s comeback rumours
But on Sunday night, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ended the conversation firmly. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia publicly rubbished reports that the board had reached out to Kohli regarding a Test comeback. “What’s being said about Virat Kohli is just a rumour. There has been no conversation with Kohli about this. Do not give weight to rumours. Nothing of that sort has happened,” Saikia said in a statement to AajTak, putting bed all the Kohli Test U-turn rumours.
The denial came even before Kohli himself clarified the situation. Speaking after receiving the Player of the Match award in Ranchi, Kohli stated clearly that he has committed to playing only one format for India. “That’s how it’s always going to be – I’m just playing one format of the game now,” he told broadcaster Harsha Bhogle.
The 37-year-old spoke about the importance of mental space and managing workload. Kohli had arrived early in Ranchi to prepare and focused on the fact that success for him is built more on mental sharpness than endless technical drills. Kohli appears content batting only in ODIs, where he once again reminded the world of his unmatched class in Ranchi, forging a 136-run stand with Rohit Sharma and powering India to a thrilling 17-run win.
