Kohli Followed His Heart and Leaves a Great Legacy; Youngsters Must Take Responsibility in England: AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers, who once shared the RCB dressing room with Virat Kohli, has cleared the air around the star batter’s decision to retire from Test cricket. According to De Villiers, Kohli simply trusted his gut while making one of the most important choices of his career. Kohli’s announcement in early May, which marked the end of his 14-year journey in red-ball cricket, surprised many especially as it came shortly after Rohit Sharma also stepped away from the format. With both experienced players moving on, India is now entering a fresh phase in Test cricket under the leadership of Shubman Gill.

Speaking to Times of India, AB de Villiers said that Virat Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket was a personal one guided by what he felt was right. He spoke about how much Kohli has given to the game and said fans should feel lucky they can still watch him play in other formats. De Villiers added that Kohli will be missed in Test cricket and that his legacy in the format is something really special.

“He followed his gut feel. I think he has done a lot for cricket around the world over the years. Luckily, we’ll still see him on the cricket field. He will be missed in Test matches, there is no doubt about it, but he leaves (behind) a great legacy with the red ball,” De Villiers said.

IPL’s Role in Shaping India’s Future Stars

Virat Kohli started his Test career back in 2011 and went on to have a fantastic run in the format. He played 123 matches and scored 9230 runs with a solid average of 46.85. He announced his retirement from Test cricket with an emotional message on social media. AB de Villiers also shared his thoughts, saying Kohli has left behind a great legacy and that he’ll be deeply missed in the Test arena.

“Yes, it’s time for the younger guys to step up… Shubman Gill taking on the responsibility. There’s lots of talent in India, and largely credit to the IPL for that, (it is) really giving great exposure to some of the youngsters at a very early age. We saw Vaibhav Suryavanshi this year (and) many other youngsters, they come in their first year and they look very mature and ready to play cricket, and it’s a great platform for Indian cricket,” De Villiers said.

“They’ve got to take some responsibility on in England, it’ll be a tough test, but they have all the talent in the world and if they believe, maybe they can achieve something special,” the ex–South Africa skipper further said.

Just days before Kohli’s announcement, Rohit Sharma also called time on his Test career, bringing an end to a remarkable journey in the format. Now, with both Kohli and Rohit stepping away, it’s up to the next generation of batters to step in and carry the team forward. AB de Villiers shared his excitement about watching these young players take on the challenge and make their mark.

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