Virat Kohli adamant on not retiring, but uncertain about selection for England tour: 'It would be very difficult'

At the age of 36, Kohli's recent struggles on the field have sparked doubts about his ability to maintain his spot in the team solely based on his past accomplishments. Opposing bowlers have successfully capitalized on his ongoing technical flaws, making it difficult for him to perform consistently. Despite scoring a century in the first Test in Perth, Kohli's overall performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was lackluster, as he managed to score only 190 runs throughout the series.

However, according to PTI, Kohli is not ready to call it a day yet. The batter is “in no mood to retire,” according to the report, and has set his sights set on playing through to the 2027 ODI World Cup.

But some concerns have been raised, especially regarding his participation in the upcoming England tour in June. A former national selector, in a chat with PTI, pointed out that it “would be very hard for selectors to pick either Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli on the basis of IPL performance or form. There has to be some red-ball cricket for them in the lead-up to the England tour.”

Will Kohli play domestic red-ball games?

Despite speculation, Kohli has reportedly not yet shown interest in playing in the Ranji Trophy, which resumes on January 23. His Delhi side is set to play Saurashtra in Rajkot, but with India’s packed schedule ahead, it seems unlikely he will fit in any red-ball cricket before the crucial England tour.

Days after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, England are scheduled to tour India for three ODIs, and it remains to be seen whether Kohli will be the part of the series. Given that this will be India's final fifty-over series before the Champions Trophy in February, there's a strong likelihood that the Indian legend will feature in the squad.

The Ranji Trophy, however, also ends in February, which will be followed by the IPL, where Kohli is expected to captain Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Hence, it would be hard for Kohli to fit in red-ball action before the tour of England.

If he does not play any domestic cricket, his only option to have a hit out with the red ball could be a few India A games ahead of the start of the England Test series.

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