Ravichandran Ashwin, the former Indian cricketer, sympathized with the Indian cricket fans who demanded a potential return of Virat Kohli in Test cricket, but at the same time asserted that the player’s wish is final in such matters, and Virat Kohli could have taken this decision after serious consideration and it is very unlikely that it will be reversed.
Rumors surrounding Virat Kohli’s return surfaced ahead of the first ODI in Ranchi; hence, fans were not just influenced by his recent hundred but really wanted him to come back to improve India’s batting standards in the longest format of the game.
However, after India failed to qualify for the WTC final in 2025, Virat Kohli, alongside Indian greats Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, walked away from Test cricket and ended the golden era of Indian Test dominance.
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Ravichandran Ashwin ruins fans’ hopes of Virat Kohli’s return
Virat Kohli himself had snubbed the idea of a potential return to Test cricket when Harsha Bhogle asked him the same question after his century in Ranchi. Today, Ravichandran Ashwin backed Kohli and asserted that when such a decision is taken, it is taken with serious thought and there is no going back, whatever the circumstances.
“I am sure a player like Virat, when he retired from Tests, made it clear that he wants to retire. Nobody takes knee-jerk decisions. As fans, we all want to see Virat Kohli. The way he batted yesterday, fans will think he is still in great form, and why are we not seeing that in Tests?”
“He has already made his decision in Test cricket. So let’s be clear about one thing, the decision has already been made, so constantly revisiting it is not the right way,” R Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“It is very important that we realize that time is running out,” added Ashwin about the future of RO-KO.
Ever since India failed to qualify for the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, which would have been their third entry into the final of the tournament, several changes have been made in the Indian side.
However, India have not improved much since the transition as despite drawing in England, India have been hammered at times, like the total of 600+ at Old Trafford and the humiliating defeat at Lord’s. This humiliation was further increased when they were once again whitewashed by a team visiting their home.
However, Ravichandran Ashwin spoke about how the team has already started a transition and the return of any of the old players would surely affect the team dynamics and be detrimental from the team’s point of view.
“There are already so many players who have come, and the team has already entered into a transition. It is about moving forward. I will say one thing though, whatever days we have left to watch Rohit and Virat, please, let’s do it. Let’s celebrate them while they are playing. It is very important that we realize that the time is shorter,” Ashwin added.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s encouragement for Harshit Rana
While Virat Kohli may have stolen most of the limelight, true cricket enthusiasts are delighted with Harshit Rana’s performance as he has already received a lot of praise from stand-in captain KL Rahul.
Now one of his former critics, whose comments once sparked major controversy, took his side and praised him to the hilt. Ravichandran Ashwin hailed Rana for moving the ball under lights and highlighted it as one of his biggest assets for the player and the team.
“Harshit Rana’s spell was decisive. He took advantage of the drop in temperature. What stands out from his spell is that he always swings the ball to the right-hander, but yesterday with the new ball he was showing some form of swing for the right-hander and inside-out for the left-hander. This is very encouraging, not only from Harshit Rana’s side, but also from the Indian team’s side,” Ravichandran Ashwin said.
Harshit Rana picked three crucial wickets during the innings, including two in the very first over of his spell. He got the better of South African left-handed batters Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock, then later dismissed a dangerous-looking Dewald Brevis to bring India back into the match.
“A player is showing improvement, he’s showing he’s developing skills, not just hitting hard on the game, but doing that. With the new ball he was fabulous yesterday, and I think he’ll only get better with the old ball and death bowling as time goes on,” he added.
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