"Could be the broadcasters" - Former India wicketkeeper's interesting take on Virat Kohli's retirement ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 series

Former India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik feels that the broadcasters might have to take the biggest hit in the aftermath of Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket ahead of the England tour. The former skipper announced his decision on Monday, May 12, midway through the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign.

Virat Kohli has been the undeniable and the undisputed poster boy for the broadcasters to rake in the views and generate hype, especially when it comes to the longest format of the game. Now, without Kohli's stardom, the top brass will have to come up with new ways to keep up the push through different means.

Dinesh Karthik opined that it was convenient for everyone to 'piggyback' on Kohli, and ride on the momentum that he generated single-handedly.

"The toughest people who are actually going to face the brunt of Virat Kohli leaving is, could be the broadcasters. He brought a certain imagery, a certain visual, that was not associated with Test cricket earlier. From a broadcaster's point of view, he was someone that everybody piggybacked on," Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

"When Virat Kohli does well, everybody runs behind him, Virat Kohli 100, Virat Kohli boundary package, six package. But in the last couple of years, whenever the batting unit did not do well, there will be a lot of focus on Virat Kohli, the batter," he added.

Kohli's unexpected move not only affects Indian broadcasters, but also the ones overseas. The former skipper's every move on the field was milked out and dissected, considering the viewership it garnered.

"He has taken the load of being the greatest-ever cricketer" - Dinesh Karthik wishes Kohli a happy retirement

Virat Kohli had serious responsibility on his shoulders, firstly after taking the No. 4 from Sachin Tendulkar, and then being thrust into captaincy following MS Dhoni's Test retirement in 2014.

He led the charge as a batter and a captain, became the face of the national team, and the entire cricketing world in a way as well. On top of that, he had to cop intense criticism when things were not going right.

"I genuinely wish and hope that he gets all the happiness that he wants because he has taken the load of being the greatest-ever cricketer, the most important cricketer in the Indian team for a decade now," Karthik said.

"I assume, at least I wish, that he plays the IPL. We know he wants to play till the 2027 World Cup, which is a very realistic target to have, and I am pretty sure he will achieve it the way he is batting, and the fitness he has shown," he concluded.

Virat Kohli will be next seen in action once the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 resumes. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will host the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the first match after the restart at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, May 17.