"No doubt.."- AB de Villiers feels Virat Kohli will be missed in test cricket

Virat Kohli announced his retirement from tests on May 12.

South Africa legend AB de Villiers has shared his opinion on his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammate Virat Kohli’s retirement from test cricket. Kohli announced his retirement from the longest format of the game earlier this month. His retirement came just a few days after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from test cricket.

Kohli’s retirement was a shocking event for many cricket fans. He played in the longest format from 2011 to 2025. Kohli ended his career as the fourth highest run-scorer for India in tests. He mustered 9230 runs in 210 innings at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries.

Hence, Indian Cricket Team has lost two crucial members Sharma and Kohli from the test team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) then appointed Shubman Gill as the new test captain of India. Gill will lead a young Indian squad in the forthcoming England test tour.

Virat Kohli will be missed in test matches- AB de Villiers

Former South Africa skipper AB De Villiers, who is is a close friend of Kohli and played with him at RCB in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for years, feels that Kohli will be missed in whites.

“He (Virat) followed his gut feel. I think he has done a lot for cricket around the world over the years. Luckily, we’ll still see him on the cricket field. He will be missed in Test matches, there is no doubt about it, but he leaves (behind) a great legacy with the red ball,” de Villiers said during an NGO event in Mumbai.

Speaking about India’s new test captain Gill, the South Africa stalwart said it is going to be a tough series for India, but they can achieve something special.

“Yes, it’s time for the younger guys to step up… Shubman Gill taking on the responsibility. They’ve got to take some responsibility on in England, it’ll be a tough test, but they have all the talent in the world and if they believe, maybe they can achieve something special,” he further added.

Meanwhile, India and England will play in five test matches starting June 20. The first match will be played at Headingley in Leeds. The final game will be played from July 31 to August 4 at Kennington Oval in London. Rishabh Pant is the new vice-captain of India in tests.

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