Virat Kohli has decided to leave the Test format with his last score being 6 off 14 balls in Sydney against Australia earlier this year. But many, from Navjot Singh Sidhu, Harbhajan Singh to his fans, have questioned the timing. Why did the King walk away with a low instead of a high?

How does one of the greatest Test captains not get a farewell game and retire ahead of such a crucial series versus England?

When the rumors floated on May 10, two days ahead of Kohli’s official announcement, Brian Lara, the man with the highest individual Test score, took to Instagram with a picture of him speaking with Kohli.

The caption read “Test cricket needs Virat!! He is going to be persuaded. He is NOT going to retire from Test cricket. @virat.kohli is going to average above 60 for the remainder of his Test career. #testcricket #thebest”

When Brian Lara says Test cricket needs Virat and someone needs to persuade him to continue, you know of the impact that player has left on the format.

What does Lara mean about Test cricket needing Kohli? Over the last decade, Test cricket has been at a precarious position where there were talks of the format being shortened and Virat Kohli was the one man who stood against the tide and said publicly, ‘No, Test cricket needs to remain the same and we need more Test cricket.’

Soon, the International Cricket Council made Test more competitive with a two year World Test Championship cycle.

Former Indian cricketer turned commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu said that Virat Kohli's timing to step away from the red-ball format is not correct.

"Virat Kohli’s decision — that he wants to retire — has created a stir across the cricketing world. His intention is right, his motive is noble — that 'the old order must change, yielding place to the new.' But the timing and occasion are not appropriate, because the pride and prestige of India are on the line," Sidhu said in a video posted on X.

"We are heading into a tour that is the toughest litmus test even for other Test-playing nations. Why do I say that Kohli can be our 'knight in shining armor' in England? Because he has the experience, especially after Rohit Sharma's departure. You can’t send an inexperienced side to England," he added.

Sidhu also cited the example of India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, who played for India under a high fever in a crucial fixture during the 1987 ODI World Cup.

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh too has questioned the timing. He wrote on X: "Why Retired? @imVkohli"

Two Punjabis backing another Punjabi to continue in the longer format, but why? Because Indian cricket needs a pillar in Tests. All the pillars have collapsed now. No Ravinchandran Ashwin, no Rohit Sharma, no Kohli. Three stalwarts, who decided matches for India, are now gone in the matter of 3 Tests (From 3rd to 5th Test of BGT 2024-25).

But Kohli being one of the fittest could have continued for another two years or so.

While some critics have gone hard and pointed out how his Test average has dipped from 52 to 46, the intensity and love for the game remained. Even when he walked off the field after getting out for a mere 6 runs in Sydney, he didn’t look like a man done but looked like a man with an intent to come back and score more.

Why will Indian cricket suffer? India over the last decade has almost exclusively seen Virat Kohli batting at number four. England has always proven to be India's toughest Test and the results haven’t been favourable. So going into such a series one wouldn’t want a youngster batting at number 4.

While something similar happened with Kohli on his first tour to England where he failed miserably, he had the backing of M.S. Dhoni ensured that Kohli gets more chances. Who supports the youngsters now? Kohli is gone. Rohit is gone.

Virat Kohli during India's tour of England, 2018. (Picture from social media)

Number four remains the most crucial place to bat at in Tests, that's why top batters such as Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Steve Smith all bat at number 4. England’s number 4 will be Joe Root, arguably the greatest modern Test batter. And India will not have an answer.

The England series could have been used as the transitional phase where youngsters were eased in rather than being thrown straight into the fire. England have a pace machinery that fires on all cylinders even though Anderson and Broad now retired. Kohli should have stayed back.

It will be interesting to see who the BCCI picks to bat at number four and how India’s Test future shapes up.

Has the BCCI given up on the 2025-2027 Test cycle? Are we going back to the days when Test cricket was played for draws?

Kohli hated draws and that made Test cricket exciting.