Virat Kohli announced his retirement just before the ongoing India tour of England. As a result, there was discussion around how his absence might impact the team. However, former England Test captain Michael Vaughan has claimed that India might miss Kohli’s involvement and energy in the dressing room more than his batting, especially considering his past record in England.
While speaking to Fox Sports, Vaughan said: “Kohli is a legend and a culture creator around this Indian team, and what he brought as a captain to the team is still there in terms of the energy and the drive and the aggression. But he only averaged 33 here in the UK. You don’t massively miss someone that averages 33, but you miss someone that brings so much to the dressing room.”
Virat Kohli Played 17 Tests in England
Kohli had a difficult tour of England in 2014 but made a strong comeback during the 2018 series. Still, across 17 Test matches in England, he scored 1096 runs at an average of 33.21. The former England skipper also stated that the current players selected for this tour are more than capable of performing well in English conditions and this could be the perfect chance for them to shine.
“These players that are going to come in and play for India, they’re seriously good players. Maybe this new generation has been waiting. Maybe they’ve been waiting for this moment. Don’t be surprised that they play really well,” he said.
India certainly made a strong start to the Leeds Test, ending day one at 359/3. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a century, while skipper Shubman Gill remained unbeaten on 127*. His deputy, Rishabh Pant, was not out on 65* at stumps.
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