Former India captain Kapil Dev has said Virat Kohli may have retired from Test cricket in anger, without fully weighing the long-term impact of that decision. Speaking in a recent interview, the legendary all-rounder suggested that Kohli should have allowed time for reflection and, if needed, earned his way back into the format through domestic cricket.

Kohli stepped away from Test cricket in May 2025, just before India announced their squad for the five-match tour of England. Rohit Sharma had retired a few days earlier, but in Kohli’s case, reports suggested the selectors had considered convincing him to continue. Neither Kohli nor the board has publicly revealed what happened behind the scenes.

The former India captain’s Test career ended with 9,230 runs, leaving him short of the 10,000-run milestone. For many fans, it felt like an abrupt finish to one of the most influential red-ball careers in Indian cricket. Kapil, however, believes the decision could have been avoided if Kohli had taken more time before walking away.

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“It’s not about 10,000 runs. What I thought was — for six months… he should not have done that in anger because you won’t get a chance to play for India again. Then you can only talk. When you’re playing, don’t react in anger,” Kapil Dev told India Today.

Kapil also said he felt disappointed that Kohli stepped aside before exhausting every possible route back into the Test side.

“It feels like — no, you still had time. If the selectors didn’t pick you, no problem. If the captain didn’t pick you, no problem. Work hard, go and score more runs — like Mohinder Amarnath or Anshuman Gaekwad. It didn’t matter — they went and scored runs in domestic cricket. Just like you’re doing in the IPL or other trophies — if you play, he will come back. Because he still has the ability for Test cricket. It’s not like he can’t play — if you look now, he can still play. But the decision made me feel bad because he took it before his time,” he added.

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Since then, rumours of a possible Test comeback have surfaced from time to time, but Kohli addressed the speculation a few weeks ago and shut the door on any immediate return.