Ex-Spinner Accuses Virat Kohli Of 'Bailing Out' Of England Tour Due To Fear Of...

Ex-Spinner Accuses Virat Kohli Of 'Bailing Out' Of England Tour Due To Fear Of...

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Last Updated: June 01, 2025, 15:20 IST

Monty Panesar thinks Virat Kohli skipped the UK Test tour to avoid mid-series exclusion.

Virat Kohli retired as an all-time great in May. (PTI Photo)

Former England spinner Monty Panesar believes Virat Kohli ‘bailed out’ of the five-Test tour of the UK in June because he was worried the team management would drop him mid-series. Speaking on Sunday, Panesar said that Kohli must have thought he’d ‘call it a day’ and give the youngsters a chance instead of facing that.

According to chief selector Ajit Agarkar, Kohli reached out to his committee in April to convey his decision to retire from Tests. He announced it in May via a social media post, saying that the choice wasn’t easy but ‘felt right’ because he had given the format everything he could in the 14 years since his debut in 2011.

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Later, some people close to him, like Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh, said the decision surprised them because Kohli was preparing to feature in the England Tests and had the hunger to score a ton of runs.

“I think he was definitely going to play," Panesar told Hindustan Times. “I think England were expecting, everyone was expecting him to play. I’m surprised he’s kind of like bailed out. But maybe the fact that outside off-stump, he’s just thinking, well, you know, they may have had a word with him. They said, look, if you don’t score well in the first couple of Test matches, don’t expect to play all the five. So, he’s probably thinking, well, I’ll just call it a day and give the youngsters a go," he added.

Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s exits have indeed paved the way for several different players, both young and seasoned. Sai Sudharsan has earned his maiden Test call-up while Karun Nair has marked a return to the senior squad for the first time in eight years, while Shubman Gill has been appointed the captain.

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Panesar also said India have a chance of winning the Test series, if their middle-order steps up.

“It would depend on how Karun Nair performs, he scored a double-hundred against the England Lions. He and Shubman Gill, that middle-order, how they bat. I think the batters who’ve played county cricket, if they are able to then transform that same form at the international level, then I think India have got a chance to win," he added.

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First Published: June 01, 2025, 15:20 IST

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