Greg Chappell calls Virat “most influential figure” in Indian cricket following Test retirement

New Delhi [India], May 12 (ANI): Former Australian captain and Indian head coach hailed star batter Virat Kohli as “Indian cricket’s most influential figure" following his Test retirement, highlighting how he changed the mindset of the team and had a massive “cultural influence" and “psychological impact" on country’s cricket that transcends even that of batting icon Sachin Tendulkar.

India is now in dire straits as, after the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, they are left with just over a month to carry out a successful transition ahead of the England tour of five Tests, which will kickstart India’s ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign.

In his column for ESPNCricinfo, Chappell wrote for Virat, “Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket marks the end of a thunderous era – a reign forged in grit, fire, and audacity. It closes the chapter on the most transformative figure in Indian cricket since Sachin Tendulkar; perhaps Kohli even eclipses him in terms of cultural influence and psychological impact on India’s cricketing identity.

Chappell said that Virat’s departure not only leaves a “statistical void", but a “seismic shift in energy" and lauded the player for “giving Indian cricket a new spine".

“Kohli, the incandescent heart of Indian cricket for over a decade, did not just score runs. He redefined expectations, challenged conventions, and symbolised the self-assured, unapologetic India of the 21st century. His departure leaves not only a statistical void but a seismic shift in energy – for there has never been another quite like him," said Chappell.

“There was a time when Indian cricket, particularly overseas, bore an air of respectful submission – playing with technical skill, yes, but often with psychological inferiority. That changed in stages. Sourav Ganguly gave Indian cricket a new spine. MS Dhoni brought ice-cold leadership and white-ball dominance. But Kohli? Kohli lit the fire. He tore the script and authored a new one, where India was not just competitive abroad but expected to win," he added.

Chappell also hailed Virat as the “most Australian non-Australian player" the sport has ever seen. He also highlighted how Virat’s success against Australia and England contributed to boosting his Test legacy.

“A snarling warrior in whites, never giving an inch, always demanding more. Not just of his bowlers, his fielders or his opposition, but first and foremost, of himself. The two Test series that define Kohli’s legacy – and indeed his character – came in England and Australia, the most traditional arenas of cricketing greatness."

“In 2014, England exposed a glaring vulnerability. (James) Anderson haunted him with late swing, and Kohli’s technique and mindset unravelled. But failure for Kohli was fertiliser. He did not complain. He rebuilt. He sought out his Under-19 coach Lalchand Rajput and worked obsessively to eliminate technical flaws. Tendulkar too lent advice. What emerged four years later was not just a better batter – it was a better man."

“His return to England in 2018 was the stuff of redemption mythology. In the opening Test, at Edgbaston, Kohli produced a sublime 149 – forged in defiance, patience, and mastery over conditions that once crippled him. The second-innings fifty was no less valuable. Across five Tests, he amassed 593 runs at 59.30, the leading run-scorer by a long stretch. The ghosts were not only exorcised, they were humiliated."

“If England was redemption, Australia in 2018-19 was a coronation. India had never won a Test series in Australia. Kohli, now captain, led a team that believed it could – and did. Though Cheteshwar Pujara was the hero statistically, Kohli’s 123 in Perth on a devilish pitch was an innings for the ages. It was Test cricket in its rawest form – discipline, fight, elegance, and grit. India won 2-1, and in doing so, buried decades of inferiority."

“No Indian captain had ever marshalled a team to such commanding overseas dominance. And no batter since Tendulkar had so unequivocally ruled in every continent," he concluded his point.

Chappell also said that Virat’s greatest innings “have been more than runs, they have been statements".

“His 141 in Adelaide in 2014, in his first Test as captain, chasing a monumental fourth-innings target, was an early blueprint. The 153 in Centurion (2018), the 200 in the West Indies in 2016, and the exquisite 254 not out at home against South Africa three years later, all told different stories of his abilities."

“He was a “feel" player, relying on immaculate timing rather than brute strength. Heavy bats didn’t interest him. Instead, he brought a two-handed, almost tennis-like aggression to slower pitches, making straight-batted drives look like power strokes from another dimension. He rarely needed innovation – no scoops or reverse sweeps. His genius lay in classical orthodoxy applied with gladiatorial will," he added.

The former Aussie cricketer also highlighted Virat’s 90-run knock for Delhi in Ranji Trophy just after his father’s death as a “defining moment" of his career, which highlighted his “mental preparation".

“He spoke candidly in later years about visualising hostile conditions, hostile crowds and hostile spells before every overseas tour. He trained not just his body but his imagination. That is Kohli’s true superpower. Where others reacted, Kohli anticipated. He saw innings before they unfolded. He lived the pressure before it arrived."

“And in the cauldron of global scrutiny, with a billion people watching his every move, Kohli taught himself to breathe. As he once said: “If I focus on all that, I can’t breathe. I have to focus on what I can do," he added.

Chappell said that after arriving to the scene following the U19 World Cup title win in 2008, some fans wondered if his “strut outpaced the substance" and his discipline and lifestyle dip led to him getting a wake-up call to turn “brutally honest with himself".

“He revamped everything: diet, training, mindset. In doing so, Kohli became the blueprint for the modern Indian cricketer – relentlessly professional, obsessively fit, and mentally ironclad," he added.

Chappell said that Virat’s evolution “mirrored that of India itself", which was “no longer content to play the supporting act."

“Confident, global, yet deeply connected to its roots. His global stardom ran parallel to the rise of the IPL, yet he never let the glitz distract from his Test ambitions. He made white-ball cricket his domain without sacrificing a drop of red-ball purity."

“Yes, Tendulkar was a genius. Yes, Dhoni was a master tactician and an ice-cold finisher. But in the grand reckoning of Indian cricket history, Kohli has been its most influential figure. Why? Because he changed not just results but mindsets."

“He demanded excellence. He made fast bowling India’s weapon. He brought the yo-yo test into the cultural lexicon. He backed his bowlers, he stood up to bullies, and he never played for second place. He wanted Test cricket to thrive and knew that for India to be respected, they needed to dominate the hardest format," he continued.

Chappell said that as Virat leaves the Test arena, he leaves behind not only a brilliant record, but a “blueprint for how to play the game with heart, with hunger, and with unyielding pride."

“He was polarising, yes. But so is every revolutionary. He walked with a swagger, often spoke too loudly, always played too hard. And in doing so, he became the icon of an India no longer content to play supporting roles. He was a beacon to Indians everywhere, a cricketing colossus from the subcontinent striding across Lord’s, Adelaide, Centurion and Kolkata with the same fearless heartbeat."

In every sense of the word, King Kohli reigned – and his influence will be felt long after the roar has faded.

All hail the King. And thank you, Virat, for making us believe that domination and dignity could walk together," he concluded.

In his Test career, the 36-year-old made 123 appearances in white clothing, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties in 210 innings and the best score of 254*. He is India’s fourth-highest run-getter in the format, behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), Rahul Dravid (13,265 runs) and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 runs). (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)

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