Overview
- Kapil Dev told the SportsTak podcast on July 4–5 that he felt Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket was made in anger and that the batter should have given himself more time to respond.
- He argued Kohli still had the technique and temperament for red‑ball cricket and urged a domestic comeback route, citing past players such as Mohinder Amarnath and Anshuman Gaekwad who forced returns by piling up runs.
- Kapil compared Kohli’s fiery on-field style to tennis’s John McEnroe and Javed Miandad, saying that for some athletes intense aggression is tied to peak performance.
- Kohli remains retired from Tests but is active in white‑ball cricket, was cleared of a hamstring problem and has been named in India’s ODI squad for the three‑match England series due to start on July 14.
- The remarks reopen questions raised in 2025 about selectors, timing and legacy—reports then said selectors tried to dissuade Kohli—but there is no public sign he plans to reverse his Test retirement.