Virat Kohli, widely regarded as one of the greatest Test batsmen of his generation, continues to be admired for his deep love and passion for the longest format of the game. Even after his retirement from Test cricket in May 2025, Kohli has repeatedly spoken about how important the format is to him, something that recently received high praise from England legend Ian Botham.Kohli brought the curtain down on his illustrious Test career on May 12, 2025, completing 9,230 runs in 123 matches along with a remarkable legacy as one of India’s most successful Test captains. Despite moving away from the format, the former India captain has never hidden his emotional attachment to Test cricket and the pride he feels in India’s achievements during his era.
Moments after finally winning his maiden Indian Premier League title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2025, ending an 18-year wait, Kohli made headlines with his honest observations on where the achievement stands compared to Test cricket.“You know, this moment is one of the best moments I’ve had in my career, but it still ranks five levels below Test cricket. That’s how much I love Test cricket, that’s how much I value Test cricket,” Kohli said after RCB won their title.Former England captain Ian Botham also praised Kohli’s mentality and commitment to the traditional form, saying the Indian star’s words perfectly reflected his greatness as a cricketer.
“I love it when Virat Kohli says that winning Test matches for India means more to him than anything else in the game. That, to me, sums it up, including winning the Indian Premier League,” Botham said during the 12th edition of the Pataudi Tiger Memorial Lecture, organized by FC Bengal and The Telegraph.
“For me, he is definitely one of the best players in Test cricket,” the England legend added.Additionally, recently, during an RCB podcast, Kohli emotionally reflected on India’s memorable Test journey under his captaincy.“I look back at the time when I was able to play Test cricket for a long time and lead India through some amazing victories and a golden era in our Test journey. We were a group of young men who always wanted to play Test cricket for India, and we got the opportunity of our lives together as a group,” Kohli said.These statements, even after his retirement from the format, underscore Kohli’s immense respect and passion for Test cricket.
