'Virat Kohli To Come Out Of Test Retirement Only If...': Michael Clarke Makes Bold Prediction On Star India Batter's Future

Former Australian skipper Michael Clarke made a bold prediction on star Indian batter Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket, saying that the 36-year-old will return to the long-format only on one condition.

Earlier in May 2025, Virat Kohli bid his adieu to Test cricket, saying that the long format has 'tested and shaped' him.

ALSO READ: Former Australian Cricketer Greg Chappell Decodes Virat Kohli's Test Retirement: 'Not Because Of Diminished Skill...'

"There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever," Virat Kohli wrote on Instagram while announcing his retirement.

Michael Clarke Reveals How Virat Kohli Can Return In Test Cricket

While speaking on the Beyond23 podcast, Michael Clarke said that if the Shubman Gill-led Team India get whitewashed in the five-match Test series and the selectors request Virat Kohli, only then will the 36-year-old make a return to red ball cricket.

He added that Kohli's passion for Test cricket is real.

"If India go to England and get flogged, if they lose the series 5-0 for example, I think the fans will want Virat Kohli to come out of retirement and play Test cricket again. And I honestly, I think if he was asked by captain, selectors and supported by fans, if they get beaten big time in England, I think he'll come. He still loves Test cricket. I think his words, I think those words, like you could hear his passion for Test cricket is real," Michael Clarke said.

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Virat Kohli's Stats In Red Ball Cricket

Virat Kohli made his debut in Test cricket in 2011 against the West Indies. Following that, the top-order batter has played 123 Tests and 210 innings, scoring 9230 runs at a strike rate of 55.57 and an average of 46.85.

The talismanic India batter has played 28 Test matches and 50 innings against England, amassing 1991 runs at a strike rate of 52.06.

India's tour of England will begin on June 20th at Headingley. The second game of the series will be played on July 2nd, in Edgbaston. The iconic Lord's will host the third fixture of the series between India and England. The fourth match of the five-game series will be held in Manchester on July 23rd. Meanwhile, the fifth and final match of the series will be played on July 31st at the Oval.