'It was not acceptable to him...': Nasser Hussain offers new insight into why Virat Kohli quit Test cricket

Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket has definitely left fans and the other members of the fraternity disappointed; hence, since the day he announced the news, people have been speculating about various angles behind his retirement. Most recently, former England captain Nasser Hussain shared a fresh angle on the other anticipated reasons behind King Kohli's retirement from Tests.

On Monday, Kohli bid farewell to the format and announced his retirement after a spectacular 14-year journey. While, according to Hussain, Kohli had a massive impact on the game. Well, Kohli's retirement announcement came just days after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket.

Both the cricket icons were the pillars of Indian cricket who stepped away from the longest format within a week of each other, leaving behind a huge void in the team just ahead of the five crucial Test matches against England.

Credit: X

Nasser Hussain's theory behind Virat Kohli's retirement

Virat Kohli, who concluded his career as India's fourth-highest run scorer in the Tests with a scorecard of 9,230 runs from 123 matches, leaves an enduring legacy as both a player and a captain.

During his leadership, India saw a success of 40 wins out of 68 Test matches and achieved the top position ranking with an impressive 42 months.

Credit: X

Well, while speaking on Sky Sports Cricket, Hussain shared, "I have been a massive Virat Kohli fan over the last 14 years¡ªhis stats speak for themselves¡ªbut he was so much more than that. It was his aura, swagger, and passion."

"We know Indian cricket fans, and the game means so much to them. They want their captain to show them what it means to the team, and no one embodied that passion for cricket in India more than Kohli," he added.

Why did Virat Kohli retire, according to Nasser?

According to Nasser, Kohli gave a stellar performance for 30 Test centuries and stood shoulder to shoulder with the other icons, including Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson, and the quartet of which was known as the 'Fab 4.'

He went on to say that it was not acceptable to Kohli to just be a 'normal cricketer' and that may have played a major role in deciding to call it quits, just 770 runs shy of 10000 Test runs.

"Kohli's aura, passion and swagger transformed Indian cricket" ?

Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton react to the news of Virat Kohli's retirement on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast ?? pic.twitter.com/DnSejGWsBJ

¡ª Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 14, 2025

¡°He is the ultimate winner; he sees the end goal as a win, and he is desperate for that. Everything for Kohli is about winning. Why do you think he's so good in run chases? He can't go on the field and not be a hundred per cent; he can't ever go, 'I'll just do my best today," he added.

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