The 36-year-old Virat Kohli has maintained tremendous fitness and can extend his test career for another three to four years, possibly till the completion of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 only if he manages to score runs consistently for his team. At the same time, his inconsistency in recent times pointed out by his poor numbers in tests raises doubts about his future in the longest format of cricket.

After Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement, speculations have rifled that the former Indian captain might retire based on his lackluster form in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.

The Indian senior batter who once used to dominate against bowlers across all formats of international cricket is currently struggling to compile runs. Particularly, in SENA test cricket, his form has dipped since 2020. In the past five years, Kohli scored just 2,005 runs in 47 test innings, including just 3 centuries and 9 half-centuries, posing uncertainties about his long-term prospects.

In contrast to his legacy in tests on Australian soil, the King of cricket managed to score just 167 runs in 7 innings of the current 5-match test series at an average of 27.83 including his only century in the Perth test.

Also, Virat added an unwanted record to his career having the lowest average accumulated by the top six Indian batters in a single calendar year across the formats.

With India’s current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle concluding with the SCG test in January 2025, let’s find out how Virat Kohli can continue with his test career despite his miserable form in the home and overseas tests.

Virat Kohli’s Poor Form Evident in 2024: One of His Low-Performing Batting Seasons in Tests

Since his debut in international cricket, Virat Kohli for the first time scored the lowest average of his career across all formats in 2024 by registering humiliating records:

1. Batting Average in SENA Tests Since 2020:

2. Lowest Average by Top Order Indian Batter in a Calendar Year:

3. Fourth-Lowest Test Score in a Single Calendar Year:

These are Kohli’s five lowest test scores in a single calendar year which proves that his current form is the mirror performances of the 2011, 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons:

Is Virat Kohli Still Having a Chance to Retain his spot in the Test Cricket Squad?

Virat Kohli’s years of experience and track records in high-pressure games rank him as the priceless asset of the team and the veteran batter still has a chance to make a comeback in the following ways:

1. Focus on Champions Trophy 2025:

As the next action shifts to white-ball cricket for the forthcoming Champions Trophy 2025, Virat Kohli’s form in the tournament matters a lot for his further inclusion in the test squad. Also, his transition to the limited overs format before the WTC 2025 final would help the right-handed batter rediscover his rhythm.

2. India’s Upcoming Test Fixtures in WTC 2025-27 Cycle:

India’s next WTC cycle starts with the 5-match test series against England, and it would be a valuable opportunity for Kohli to conclude his test career on a successful note by accumulating runs against these teams:

3. Following Ravi Shastri’s Advice:

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri advised Virat Kohli not to worry about his form by guaranteeing that he would play for another three to four years in tests scoring more tons.

All he needs to do is dodge the balls outside off-stump and allow the opponent bowlers to bowl towards his body. Several cricket experts and former cricketers have suggested a common fact that Kohli should show patience and discipline by spending time on the crease to settle. The more balls he faces, the higher his chances of getting back into form.

4. Previous Instances of Kohli’s Comeback:

However, Virat Kohli has undergone countless struggles and criticism in his career and these are the few notable ones on how he made a comeback with his stellar performance:

• 2014: After being lashed for his inability to face seamers in England’s tour, Kohli followed Sachin Tendulkar’s advice. He returned to form in that year’s Border Gavaskar Trophy played in Australia by scoring 4 centuries in that edition and ranked as the second-highest run scorer in the series.
  
• 2018: Kohli made a comeback in the England tour and ranked as the leading run scorer in the 5-match test series.
  
• 2022: Virat proved his determination towards cricket and scored his maiden T20I century against Afghanistan, thereby ending his three-year drought period of recording an international ton.

Final Opinion:

While selectors have shown leniency towards Virat Kohli considering his years of experience and previous records, it’s time for the Indian batting stalwart to recover from the rough patches of his career.

Moreover, rising young talents such as Dhruv Jurel, Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan, and Nitish Reddy have already grabbed the headlines with their previous performances which makes them deserve a guaranteed spot in the playing XI. As a result, this makes Kohli cautious about retaining his place as a senior specialist batter in the squad.

However, these prolonged struggles in the present aren’t new to India’s run-machine. Virat’s previous examples show how he made a comeback after a tricky phase in his career that reignites the hopes of the entire cricket world, waiting for the modern-day legendary batter to turn back the clock to his vintage days by returning to his red-hot form.