The much-awaited ENG vs IND Test series has finally kicked off at the Lord’s Cricket Stadium, Headingley, Leeds. Former England captain Michael Vaughan made a harsh comment about Virat Kohli before the five-match Test series. He said India won’t miss Kohli’s batting in the series, as the former captain hasn’t done well in Test matches in England.
Michael Vaughan’s Blunt Assessment of Kohli’s Test Record in England
Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket just before the start of the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle. He ended his career with over 9,000 runs in 123 matches. Many had hoped he would still play an important role in the England tour, even though he had a tough time in the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar series.
India is going through a big transition, especially after the retirements of Ravichandran Ashwin and Rohit Sharma. On top of that, Virat Kohli also retired from Test cricket, which means India now has to rely on a less experienced team for the tough England tour.
Michael Vaughan said that the Indian cricket team will feel the absence of Virat Kohli’s on-field aggression. However, he also took a jibe at Virat’s Test average of 33 in England. Vaughan said that the young Indian players could rise to the occasion in the absence of Virat and perform well for the team.
“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,” Vaughan told Fox Cricket.
“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 added.
Ben Stokes Reflects on Kohli’s Legacy and On-Field Presence
Earlier, England skipper Ben Stokes said that the Indian cricket team will feel the absence of Virat Kohli’s fighting spirit following his Test retirement. He also admitted that it would be strange not to see the iconic No. 18 jersey on the field.
“I think what India will miss will be his fighting spirit out in the game, his competitiveness, desire to win. He has made number 18 his, hasn’t he? It’ll be a bit weird not seeing number 18 on the back of anyone… of any Indian shirt, but he has been class for them for a long period of time,” Ben Stokes had said (via Indian Express).
In a video released by England Cricket on their Instagram, Stokes said: “I think what India will miss will be his fighting spirit out in the game, his competitiveness, desire to win. He has made number 18 his, hasn’t he? It’ll be a bit weird not seeing number 18 on the back of anyone… of any Indian shirt, but he has been class for them for a long period of time.”
Furthermore, Ben Stokes also revealed that he did messaged Virat Kohli after the ace batter announced his retirement from the longest format of the game. He revealed:
“I did text him, saying it’s going to be a shame not to play against him because I love playing against Virat. We both love playing against each other because we have that same mindset when we are out in the field that it’s a battle,” he said.
“He has been incredible and he deserves sort of I’m sure no doubt there’s been a lot of praise for him over in India. There’s definitely been praise from players over here and you know he’s done really well against England so yeah, he has been a class player.” Stokes added.
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