Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer suggested that Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket due to lingering bitterness over how his exit was handled by the selection panel, pointing out that the star batter was actively preparing for an England tour before his abrupt departure in May 2025.
The circumstances surrounding Virat Kohli’s departure from red-ball cricket continue to draw scrutiny over a year after his announcement on May 12, 2025. While Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket just five days earlier on May 7, 2025, Kohli’s exit caught fans and observers off guard because the national team was preparing for a demanding five-match series in England.
Wasim Jaffer Raises Questions Over Agarkar’s Handling
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer addressed the retirement while assessing the tenure of departing chief selector Ajit Agarkar on his YouTube channel. Jaffer argued that the manner in which senior personnel were managed left room for improvement, specifically pointing to Kohli’s abrupt exit from the format. Agarkar received a 7 out of 10 score from Jaffer for his three-year tenure, with praise given to white-ball accomplishments alongside concerns over decisions involving Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma’s leadership changes, and the handling of Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sarfaraz Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Mohammed Shami.
It felt like Virat was a bit bitter about the way he was treated. A player like Virat brings people to the ground. He has such a following. He definitely could have played more Test cricket. Till we hear it from Virat’s mouth, we won’t know.
Wasim Jaffer, former India batter
Jaffer rated Agarkar’s three-year stint at 7 out of 10, acknowledging significant white-ball milestones including the 2024 T20 World Cup, the 2025 Champions Trophy, and the 2026 T20 World Cup. He noted that we won two World Cups, the Asia Cup, and the Champions Trophy. However, he maintained that how certain senior players were handled could have been managed much more diplomatically, adding that regarding certain individuals, things could have been managed better.
Preparations for the England Tour and Selection Dynamics
Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh revealed that Kohli had discussed his playing plans earlier while representing Delhi in a Ranji Trophy fixture in January 2025.
That dynamic shifted by April 2025. Growing increasingly disenchanted, Kohli told selectors he wished to sit out the upcoming England series, while attempts by close friends and specific board executives to have him reverse his stance reportedly fell flat. Jaffer highlighted Kohli’s active preparation for the series as a core reason why his exit prompted questions about administrative management, observing that the batsman was getting ready for the tour.
Ajit Agarkar’s Account and the End of an Era
Agarkar’s own account of the development was different, asserting that the choice was entirely a personal and autonomous decision.
Kohli concluded his 14-year Test career having played 123 matches and scoring 9,230 runs, which included 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. He was two matches shy of the 125-Test mark, needed 770 more runs to hit 10,000 Test runs, and required five additional hundreds to become the eighth player globally to register 35 Test centuries. He also led the country to 40 victories across 68 Tests as captain. Following the conclusion of Agarkar’s tenure as chairman of the senior selection committee in October 2026, former spinner Pragyan Ojha stepped in as interim chief selector.