Former India Cricketer Raises Serious Questions Over Virat Kohli's Retirement: 'Usko Majboor Kiya Gya Tha'

Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has raised serious questions over talismanic batter Virat Kohli's Test retirement, saying that the 37-year-old was forced to take the decision.

Earlier on May 12, 2025, Virat Kohli took to his official social media handle and announced his retirement from Test cricket. Kohli's retirement from red-ball cricket came after India's dismal show in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025 against Australia.

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Manoj Tiwary Makes Shocking Claims On Kohli Test Retirement

While speaking to InsideSport, Manoj Tiwary opened up on Kohli's Test retirement and made sensational claims, saying that an atmosphere was created for the top-order, which forced him to retire from Test cricket.

"Usko majboor kiya gya tha. Mere observation se, meri jo soch hain, he was forced. An atmosphere was created as such that he has to goobye to Test cricket. Kyunki he is not the one jo khud se bolega ki main chhor dunga. Haa, decision usne apne juban se lia hain. Lekin yeh behind the scenes ka jo story hain woh sabko pata hain yaar. Sabko pata hain kya hua hain. Toh sab kuchh jaan ne ke baad aap kaise bol sakte ho ki usne hardest format ko chhor ke easiest format ko lia sirf apne runs banane ke liye. I don’t agree with him. (He was forced. An atmosphere was created as such that he has to goobye to Test cricket. Everyone knows what happened behind the scenes. After knowing everything, how can you say that he left the hardest format and is playing the easiest one for his own runs.),” Manoj Tiwar said.

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Virat Kohli's Numbers In Tests

Virat Kohli began his Test career on June 30, 2011, against the West Indies. The 37-year-old played 123 Tests and 210 innings, scoring 9230 runs at a strike rate of 55.57 and an average of 46.85. He slammed 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries in red-ball cricket for Team India.

The top-order batter played his last Test match on January 3, 2025, against Australia, at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In first-class cricket, Kohli played 156 matches and 259 innings, scoring 11485 runs at an average of 48.05 and a strike rate of 55.95.