Gautam Gambhir blamed as Ex-cricketer claims Virat Kohli was 'forced into Test retirement'
Published - 23 Jan 2026, 11:12 AM | Updated - 23 Jan 2026, 11:34 PM
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Virat Kohli’s Test retirement remains one of the hot topics among cricket fans and experts. A portion cricket fraternity still believes that Kohli was forced to walk off from the format, who once took the Indian cricket team to new heights with his captaincy. Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has taken the discussion further by making some explosive comments while talking with InsideSport.
Tiwary strongly claims that Virat retired from Tests because of external pressure, which is undisclosed in the public domain. He also disagreed with the recent comments made by another former Indian cricketer, Sanjay Manjrekar. Manjrekar opined that Kohli left the toughest format of the game, which is Tests, to play the easier format, One Day International cricket.
Manoj Tiwary opposed Sanjay Manjrekar's opinion
After taking retirement from T20I and Tests, the former India captain is currently active only in the ODI format. Kohli left the T20Is just after winning the T20I World Cup 2024 and retired from the Tests before the England vs India 5-match Test series in 2025. Kohli’s decision to retire from the Whites became more controversial as his contemporaries like Kane Williamson and Steve Smith are still active in the format.
According to Manoj Tiwary, it is obvious that a situation was created behind the curtain to force Kohli to say goodbye to Test cricket. The ex-cricketer even claims that everyone is aware of what happened behind the scenes, so he strongly condemned Manjrekar’s observation about Virat Kohli.
Manoj Tiwary made some explosive comments on Virat Kohli's retirement from Tests
“Usko majboor kiya gya tha. Mere observation, meri jo soch hain, he was forced. Kyunki he is not the one who khud se bolega ki main chhor dunga. Haa, decision usne apne juban se lia hain. Lekin yeh behind-the-scenes ki jo story hai, woh sabko pata hai yaar. Sabko pata hain kya hua hain (He was forced. An atmosphere was created such that he has to say goodbye to Test cricket. Everyone knows what happened behind the scenes,” Tiwary told InsideSport.
“Toh sab kuchh jaan ne ke baad aap kaise bol sakte ho ki usne hardest format ko chhor ke easiest format ko lia sirf apne runs banane ke liye (After knowing everything, how can you say that he left the hardest format and is playing the easiest one for his own runs)?” he further added.
Recent form of Virat Kohli in ODIs
As of now, Virat Kohli, 37, is in stunning form for Team India in the ODIs. In the last ten ODIs, the Indian batting maestro has delivered four centuries and four half-centuries. He missed another ton by only 7 runs.
In the recently concluded India vs New Zealand 3-match ODI series, he smashed 124 runs in Indore, which was the third match of the contest, and secured a 93-run knock in the first game of the bilateral series. Last year against South Africa, he registered a couple of tons as well.
Read More: Virat Kohli’s Test retirement ripped apart as ex-India captain smells regret
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