'Kohli had to say goodbye to Test cricket, but not of his own free will; he was compelled': Manoj Tiwary's explosive claim sparks debate

NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has made an explosive revelation regarding Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli's Test retirement. Former player Manoj Tiwary has said that Kohli did not retire from Test cricket of his own free will, but circumstances forced him to do so. Kohli's unexpected retirement announcement came just before the series against England in 2025.

Speaking to Inside Sport, Tiwary refuted some of Sanjay Manjrekar's observations. Tiwary disagreed with Manjrekar's claim that Kohli had given up the Test format, which is difficult to score runs, and focused on the easier ODI format.

"An atmosphere was created such that he had to say goodbye to Test cricket. He is not someone who would just decide on his own to leave. Yes, the decision came from his mouth, but everyone knows what happened behind the scenes. After knowing everything, how can you say he left the hardest format to play the easiest one just for runs? I don’t agree with him,” Manoj Tiwary reiterated.

Tiwary claimed that despite Kohli's passion for red-ball cricket, he was forced out, saying, "Usko majboor kiya gaya tha" (He was compelled). He suggested that internal discussions indicated a risk of being dropped midway through a series, similar to how other seniors were treated, forcing Kohli to exit proactively. Tiwary argued that an unfavourable environment left Kohli with no choice but to resign to maintain his integrity and self-respect.