“Everything will start to fall apart” - Former India opener on Virat Kohli’s potential retirement ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Former Indian opener Navjot Singh Sidhu has warned that the Test team will fall apart without Virat Kohli in it as the tour of England looms. Sidhu's statement came as the Indian batting star reportedly told the BCCI about wanting to retire from Tests, and the 61-year-old said the Asian Giants need Kohli in England.

The reports about the 36-year-old's Test retirement have caused a massive stir among fans and former cricketers. However, a top BCCI official is set to convince him to play during the England tour as the star batter's retirement would leave India with a largely inexperienced line-up.

Sidhu, who played 51 Tests, said the best way to convince the former Indian captain is to tell the country it needs him. The cricketer-turned-commentator elaborated, as quoted by India Today:

"Once it's said that the country needs you, just forget everything else. Virat Kohli will say, I am available. Virat Kohli is needed in these conditions in England. In England, if you play Virat Kohli, I’ll make an eleven for you. I’ll make an eleven, and you see the strength of that eleven. If you try to form a team without Virat, everything will start to fall apart. You'll be compromising in every area, and you won’t even realize where and how to establish stability. You just won’t understand. That’s how important he is—he’s like the bridge standing firm at number four."

The Delhi-born cricketer largely struggled during the five-Test series against Australia, aggregating only 190 runs in nine innings at 23.75. Although Kohli started the series in Perth with a hundred, his returns kept plummeting as it progressed.

"When you go for bits and pieces, you end up compromising in Test matches" - Navjot Singh Sidhu on India's chances in England

Navjot Singh Sidhu. (Image Credits: Getty)

Sidhu also named his eleven for the England Tests, naming B Sai Sudharsan and Yashasvi Jaiswal as openers, with the former taking the spot of the retired Rohit Sharma. He added:

"Sai Sudharsan and Jaiswal as openers. Number three, Gill. Number four, Kohli. Number five, KL Rahul. Number six, Rishabh Pant. Then at number seven, Jadeja. And four fast bowlers—if you don’t want to play outright fast bowlers and want batting till number eight, then bring in Nitish Reddy and play three fast bowlers. What I’m saying is, you need specialists, not bits-and-pieces players. When you go for bits and pieces, you end up compromising in Test matches."

India's Test series against England begins on June 20 in Leeds.