Virat Kohli told to 'stop his senseless antics' as tough selection call awaits

Will Virat Kohli travel to England for the five-Test series against England, or won't he? Well, that's a question that only he or the BCCI selection committee can answer. At 36, Kohli may likely embark on his final tour of the UK later this year, but on form, does he warrant a place? Certainly not. Having scored just 417 runs from 10 Tests in 2024 at an average of 24, Kohli's future is uncertain, but with Rohit Sharma all but likely done with his Test career, the BCCI may give Virat a slightly longer rope than his captain.

But here's where the problem arises. India don't play a single Test match between now and the England tour starting in June. In fact, India will head straight into the five-Test series on the back of the IPL 2025, which is never the most ideal preparation for a high-profile overseas Test series. No practice match is scheduled for India, but even if a warm-up game is to be slotted in between, how much help it will be for India is up for debate.

However, as tough selection calls await Kohli and Rohit, former Australia captain Ian Chappell has urged Virat to let go of his shenanigans on the field. Kohli attracted a lot of criticism when he shoulder-bumped Sam Konstas in the MCG Test – turning the Australian media against him – and later teased the Aussie crowd with a sandpaper-gate reminder. While Chappell is confident that Kohli will play the England tour, he insisted that he return to form and disassociate himself with his recent controversial acts on the field.

"Kohli's experience in the UK would be invaluable, and of the two problematic players he's the most likely to be resuscitated. However, his consistency needs to improve in addition to dispensing valuable advice to younger players. He also has to stop his senseless antics like shouldering Sam Konstas in the MCG Test. If Kohli does decide to retire from Test cricket, the loss of both him and Rohit would leave a huge gap in the line-up for a tough tour," Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.

Ian Chappell addresses Rohit Sharma's future

The Aussie great remained sceptical of Rohit's future, saying it's tough to see the India captain playing Test cricket going forward. The end of Rohit's Test career – whenever that is – also throws open two questions. Who will be India's next opener and captain? Ideally, Jasprit Bumrah, the vice-captain, would have been the automatic choice for the position, but his workload management has made it tough for the selectors and the team management to thrust him into that role.

"For India the two big question marks are leading batters, and the selectors have tough decisions to make regarding Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The soon-to-be-38-year-old Rohit, facing a crammed five-Test series against England in a few months, is a doubtful quantity. Although India are extremely reluctant to part with star players, lately Rohit has struggled technically and his absence would provide uncertainty over the opening position and the captaincy," added Chappell.

"KL Rahul is a decent opening alternative but the captaincy provides a bigger headache whenever Jasprit Bumrah is unavailable. Bumrah showed in Australia he's an outstanding bowler and a decent skipper, but he needs support in both categories if India are to remain a force."