Brian Lara shares heartfelt message for Kohli; says 'Test cricket needs Virat and he is going to be persuaded'

The reports about Virat Kohli's retirement talks with BCCI stunned the cricketing world. While the news that the Indian batting icon has informed about his intention of Test retirement is yet to be confirmed officially, it has sparked emotional responses from fans, former players, and cricket legends across the globe.

West Indies great Brian Lara also took it to the social media to express his take on the retirement news.

Brian Lara's post

Brian Lara expressed firm belief that Kohli would not retire from the Test format just yet. Lara, widely regarded as one of the finest Test batsmen of all time, made a prediction as well. According to him, Kohli will not only be convinced to continue but also dominate the format once again.

“Test cricket needs Virat!! He is going to be persuaded. He is NOT going to retire from Test cricket. @virat.kohli is going to average above 60 for the remainder of his Test career,” wrote Lara on his official Instagram handle.

The strong words from the 56-year-old are being seen as both a message of support and a challenge to Kohli to reconsider his reported decision.

BCCI plans talks with Virat Kohli

According to reports, it has been learnt that the BCCI is planning to step in. The board wants to speak directly with Kohli to convince him to continue playing in the red-ball format.

Given Kohli's contribution and experience, the board is keen to keep him involved, especially with the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle around the corner. India’s WTC 2025–27 campaign will begin on June 20 with a series against England.

Virat Kohli's stats in Tests

Virat Kohli has played 210 Test innings and has scored 9230 runs so far. The 36-year-old has smashed 30 centuries and 31 fifties in the format. He has registered the highest score 254 and an average of 46. 85.

Growing speculation on Kohli's retirement

While Virat Kohli has remained silent on the matter, speculation grew after he went through a lean patch during the recent Test series against New Zealand and Australia. However, Kohli remains one of the fittest and most talented cricketers in the world