Legendary Sunil Gavaskar said he isn’t surprised with Virat Kohli’s retirement call after a mundane tour of Australia, in which the visitors suffered a 3-1 series loss. Kohli scored a fine hundred in the opening Test match at Perth but veered off the track in the remaining four games.

The veteran batter amassed 190 runs in five Test matches at an average of 23.75 and struggled to tackle the deliveries outside the off-stump line. 

Kohli amassed 9230 runs in 123 Test matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. The 36-year-old played Test cricket with a lot of passion and always gave his absolute best for the team.

Sunil Gavaskar said on India Today, “To play or not play is an individual decision. But I’m not surprised because I thought after what happened in Australia, there were going to be massive changes. So I’m not surprised he decided to call it a day.”

The former Indian captain also added that Virat Kohli’s big boots will be extremely difficult to fill for the team as he has made a massive contribution to the side’s success over the years.

The Little Master added, “Definitely. He has been a colossal presence. He is a colossus as far as run-scoring is concerned. In all formats of the game – not just Tests, but one-dayers and T20s too – he has been phenomenal. Since the time he made his debut, what he has done, what he has achieved for Indian cricket and what he has contributed to world cricket is unbelievable. Those boots are massive to fill. It’s not going to be easy for someone to come in and bat at that position. You could possibly see a couple of players coming in and going at that No. 4 spot.”

Kohli led India in 68 Test matches, winning 40, drawing 11 and losing 17, and thus he is regarded as one of India’s most successful Test captains. The veteran will be seen in action in IPL 2025, which will resume on May 17.