“Virat Kohli Was Preparing For England Tour”- Delhi’s Ranji Coach Drops Bombshell

The former Indian captain Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket has shocked the entire cricketing world. His former Delhi and Ranji Trophy coach, Sarandeep Singh’s statement after the retirement has fueled the discussions.

On Monday morning, the 36-year-old hung up his shoes from the longest format as the fourth leading run-getter for the national side with 9230 runs in 210 innings at an average of 46.85 and a strike rate of 55.57, thanks to 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 254 runs.

Sarandeep Singh makes a shocking revelation on Virat Kohli’s Test retirement

In a surprising statement on Star Sports, the former Indian spinner claimed that Kohli had no intention to step away from the five-day format as he was actively preparing for the blue brigade’s upcoming trip to England for five red-ball games.

“Not at all.” Sarandeep expressed when asked if Virat Kohli hinted at his Test retirement. “He came to play red-ball cricket (in Ranji Trophy), so he had no thoughts like that. Even at that time, he was talking about the England series with the test matches that were coming. So, he was going to play there.”

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“And this time, he would be very much prepared. He said he was going to score maximum hundreds, which he did the last time in 2018 when he went to England. He scored a lot of runs over there. There was nothing like that when he came to play Ranji Trophy matches.” Delhi’s Ranji Trophy coach addressed.

Kohli went through a rough time during the last two series against New Zealand at home and the away Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 down under. The right-handed batter smashed 93 runs in six home Test innings against the Kiwis before ending with 191 runs against Australia in nine innings, including the unbeaten century in the Test opener at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

"Virat Kohli wanted to play county cricket”- Delhi’s Ranji coach

Sarandeep went a step ahead to disclose how Virat Kohli informed his wish to play county cricket for the England series and promised to smash four centuries like he did in the 2018 trip.

“I spoke to Virat a few weeks ago and asked if he'd play county cricket to prepare for the England series. He said, 'I'll play 2 India A matches in England,' and added, 'I want to hit 4-5 centuries in the England series, like I did in 2018 when I came to play the Ranji match.” He stated.

Besides his batting performance, the Blue Brigade will also miss the batter’s energy and fierce intensity in the field as he remains the country’s most successful red-ball captain with 40 victories in 68 games, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy.

In 2018, when the overall Test batting average was 28, the lowest since 1959, Virat Kohli smashed runs at over 70, including the decade-best hundreds in Perth, Centurion, and Birmingham.

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When he made his century in the BGT 2024-25, many predicted to see his old charm back, but the right-handed batter kept repeating the same mistake, and the grind after his very last Test dismissal paints the picture of where he stood by the end of a tough series.

India faces an uphill task in the veterans’ absence

Along with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma also announced his red-ball retirement a few days ago, which leaves a huge hole to fill for the national side in finding a long-time captain, a suitable opener, and a number four batter for the future.

The fourth WTC 2025-27 cycle isn’t an easy one for India with away series in England, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. In addition, they will host Australia at home, which has challenged them in the last few series.