Latest news with #Sarandeep
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First Post
15-05-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Delhi coach drops shocker: 'Virat Kohli was planning for England tour, had no plans to retire from Tests'
Former Team India selector and Delhi Ranji team coach has revealed that Virat Kohli has no plans to retire from Test cricket and he was planning to hit at least 'three or four hundreds in England'. read more Advertisement Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket despite having plans to play on for India. Image: PTI Virat Kohli had no plans to retire from Test cricket and he was aiming to score at least three to four hundreds in the upcoming Test tour of England, claimed former Indian spinner Sarandeep Singh. Kohli's decision to retire from Test cricket at the age of 36, just a few days before the squad for the England tour is to be picked, has left the cricketing world in shock. Kohli's love for Test cricket is well known and after the retirement of Rohit Sharma , it was felt that Kohli should stay on with the team for a while as the Indian cricket team gets ready for the transition. But the former captain stunned the world by quitting the longer format on Monday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kohli forced to retire form Tests? Was the decision to retire from Test cricket forced on Kohli? We may never know what happened behind the scenes but Delhi's Ranji Trophy coach and former Team India selector, Sarandeep, has confirmed that Kohli has no plans to retire at least till February. In January, Kohli also turned up in a Ranji match for Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium against Railways as he continued to struggle with form. Sarandeep claimed during their conversation at the time, Kohli confirmed plans to play for India 'A' team in England to prepare for the five-match Test series that starts on 20 June. 'Only he knows the reason (for his retirement). Everyone is shocked,' Sarandeep said. 'There was no sign of it. Neither did I hear from anyone else about this. Look at the way he is performing in the IPL. He is in good form. 'I asked him if he would play a couple of County Cricket matches before the England tour. He said, 'No Paaji, I am looking to play India A matches. Two India A matches where I will prepare for the Test series.' He had a settled plan. Suddenly, seeing him end his red-ball career is surprising. He doesn't have any fitness issues, no form issues,' he said. Kohli said 'I want to score three or four hundreds in England' Sarandeep also revealed that Kohli was aiming to hit a few hundreds on the England tour. 'If you look at the Australia tour, Virat is known for his big runs Down Under. He started with a century and didn't get it. He was not satisfied with it,' he said. 'During the Ranji Trophy, he told me, 'I want to score three or four hundreds in England. I have to take responsibility being the senior batter in the team',' Sarandeep added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kohli has pulled the curtains down on a highly successful career in which he scored 9,230 runs in 123 matches. In his last Test series in Australia, Kohli scored just 190 runs in five matches.
First Post
13-05-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Delhi coach drops shocker: 'Virat Kohli had no plans to retire from Tests, was eyeing 3-4 tons in England'
Former Team India selector and Delhi Ranji team coach has revealed that Virat Kohli has no plans to retire from Test cricket and he was planning to hit at least 'three or four hundreds in England'. read more Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket despite having plans to play on for India. Image: PTI Virat Kohli had no plans to retire from Test cricket and he was aiming to score at least three to four hundreds in the upcoming Test tour of England, claimed former Indian spinner Sarandeep Singh. Kohli's decision to retire from Test cricket at the age of 36, just a few days before the squad for the England tour is to be picked, has left the cricketing world in shock. Kohli's love for Test cricket is well known and after the retirement of Rohit Sharma , it was felt that Kohli should stay on with the team for a while as the Indian cricket team gets ready for the transition. But the former captain stunned the world by quitting the longer format on Monday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kohli forced to retire form Tests? Was the decision to retire from Test cricket forced on Kohli? We may never know what happened behind the scenes but Delhi's Ranji Trophy coach and former Team India selector, Sarandeep, has confirmed that Kohli has no plans to retire at least till February. In January, Kohli also turned up in a Ranji match for Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium against Railways as he continued to struggle with form. More from First Cricket BCCI confirms resumption of IPL 2025 from 17 May, announces revised schedule and venues Sarandeep claimed during their conversation at the time, Kohli confirmed plans to play for India 'A' team in England to prepare for the five-match Test series that starts on 20 June. 'Only he knows the reason (for his retirement). Everyone is shocked,' Sarandeep said. 'There was no sign of it. Neither did I hear from anyone else about this. Look at the way he is performing in the IPL. He is in good form. 'I asked him if he would play a couple of County Cricket matches before the England tour. He said, 'No Paaji, I am looking to play India A matches. Two India A matches where I will prepare for the Test series.' He had a settled plan. Suddenly, seeing him end his red-ball career is surprising. He doesn't have any fitness issues, no form issues,' he said. Kohli said 'I want to score three or four hundreds in England' Sarandeep also revealed that Kohli was aiming to hit a few hundreds on the England tour. 'If you look at the Australia tour, Virat is known for his big runs Down Under. He started with a century and didn't get it. He was not satisfied with it,' he said. 'During the Ranji Trophy, he told me, 'I want to score three or four hundreds in England. I have to take responsibility being the senior batter in the team',' Sarandeep added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kohli has pulled the curtains down on a highly successful career in which he scored 9,230 runs in 123 matches. In his last Test series in Australia, Kohli scored just 190 runs in five matches.
India Gazette
12-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
"Was preparing for England tour": Sarandeep reveals jaw-dropping conversation with Virat before Test retirement call
New Delhi [India], May 12 (ANI): Delhi head coach Sarandeep Singh was 'surprised' after the Indian batting mainstay Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket, especially after the former captain informed him that he was 'preparing' for next month's England tour. On Monday morning, Virat took to Instagram and penned a note that stirred the hearts of many. He confirmed that the days of speculation had turned into reality by closing the curtains on his 14-year-long Test journey. With Virat's exit, the Indian Test setup is threadbare in terms of experience playing on the UK's green, blushing pitches. Sarandeep was taken by surprise after hearing Virat's announcement, considering his involvement, which included his return to the Ranji Trophy in January after 13 years. 'I was surprised to hear this (Kohli announcing the retirement). Before the Ranji match, I talked to him; he said he wanted to play and about the wicket as well. He showed a lot of involvement, something I have not seen from a big player who comes to play Ranji after a long while of playing Tests. He would come to the ground at 8:00 instead of 9:15 AM for practice, and he also did gym,' Sarandeep said on JioHotstar. With the England tour on the horizon, Sarandeep spilt the beans about Virat's plans before he called it a day in the longest format of cricket. According to Sarandeep, Virat had informed him about his ambition of replicating his 2018 heroics in England, a series where he handsomely struck 593 runs with two swashbuckling centuries and three fifties. 'He was preparing for the England tour. He told me he was trying to replicate his 2018 heroics in England. We could see in that preparation. We did not see anything that indicated he wanted to retire from Tests. Now, everyone is shocked. Virat must know the reason himself,' he said. The 45-year-old claimed that Virat was planning to play two India A matches and then prepare for the five high-stakes Test fixtures beginning from June 20 at Headingley, a gruelling series where he eyed to hammer three to four centuries. 'We had talked a few days back, and I did not see anything that indicated his retirement plans. He is in fine form in the IPL. I asked him if he would play some county cricket to prepare, and he told me I would play two India A matches and then prepare for Tests against England. This is really surprising,' he said. 'Fitness and form is not an issue. We have seen Virat score 3-4 centuries in Australia during a single tour. He scored one this time around, he was not satisfied. He was talking during Ranji that I want to smash 3-4 centuries in England,' he added. In a journey that redefined the demands of the game, Virat's unparalleled contributions saw him rack up 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties and finish as India's fourth-highest run-getter in the format. (ANI)
NDTV
12-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Virat Kohli Wanted To Play 'India A Matches, Slam 3-4 Tons vs England': Stunning Revelation By Ex-BCCI Selector
Virat Kohli 's sudden Test retirement, days before the announcement of the Indian squad for the England Tour, has grabbed headlines worldwide. After a below-par Border Gavaskar Trophy that saw him score 190 in five matches at an average of 23.75, there were question marks on where the batting great's career was headed. Now, those speculations has been answered as Kohli declared in an Instagram post on Monday he is bidding good-bye to the Test format. Former India cricketer and national selector Sarandeep Singh, who is also the coach of the Delhi team, has now made some stunning revelations. Earlier this year, Sarandeep had worked with Kohli during a Ranji Trophy match. "There was no hint (of retirement). Did not even hear from anywhere. Some days ago, I was talking to him but I did not get any hint that he was thinking about this. The kind of IPL he is having, he is in incredible form," Singh said. "I asked him if will he would play County cricket before the Test matches. He said he wanted to play two India 'A' matches before the Test series (against England). It was already settled. Suddenly, we hear he will no longer play red ball cricket. There is no fitness issue. No form issue. He got one century in Australia, but he was not satisfied. During the Ranji Trophy, he was saying that he wants to score three-four centuries in England because is the most senior player in the team." He was also asked by news agency PTI on whether coach Sarandeep saw any signs of retirement when Kohli played a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi in February. "Not at all, there was no sign of him retiring from any form of cricket because he is coming to play red-ball cricket, so he had no thinking like that. Even at that time, he was talking about the England series with the test matches that are coming. So, he is going to play there," Sarandeep Singh said. "And this time, he will be very much prepared, he said. He is going to score maximum hundreds, which he did the last time in 2018 when he went to England. He scored a lot of runs over there. So, he will be well prepared for the England tour too. So, there is nothing like that when it came to Ranji Trophy matches. In the coming time, he was looking forward to it. So, I don't know. Still, we thought that we would see him on the England tour. He is one of the most senior players. Especially, the England tour is very tough. So, without him, I don't know how the Indian team will manage now." On Monday morning, Virat took to Instagram and penned a note that stirred the hearts of many. He confirmed that the days of speculation had turned into reality by closing the curtains on his 14-year-long Test journey. With Virat's exit, the Indian Test setup is threadbare in terms of experience playing on the UK's green, blushing pitches. Sarandeep was taken by surprise after hearing Virat's announcement, considering his involvement, which included his return to the Ranji Trophy in January after 13 years.
India Today
12-05-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Virat Kohli aimed for 3-4 tons in England, was ready to play for India A: Delhi coach
Former India spinner and Delhi's Ranji Trophy coach, Sarandeep Singh, said he was shocked by Virat Kohli's Test retirement, revealing details of his conversation with the star batter during his last red-ball game in New Delhi in February. Sarandeep claimed that Kohli had told him he was keen to perform well in the five-Test series and was prepared to play practice games with the India A team in Kohli featured in a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in February, weeks after the disappointing tour of Australia. However, the former captain's announcement of his Test retirement left many stunned. India Today reported that Kohli had informed the BCCI of his decision, but a top board official was trying to persuade the star cricketer to travel to Read: Test cricket will feel quieter without its gladiatorSarandeep, speaking to JioStar, said Kohli had told him during the Ranji Trophy match that he was eager to shoulder responsibility as a senior batter in the team and score three or four hundreds in it stands, India will be without both Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who also retired from Tests last week. The team will miss two of their most experienced batters during the five-Test series in England, scheduled from 20 June to 4 August."Only he knows the reason (for his retirement). Everyone is shocked," Sarandeep said."There was no sign of it. Neither did I hear from anyone else about this. Look at the way he is performing in the IPL. He is in good WAS READY TO PLAY FOR INDIA A: SARANDEEP"I asked him if he would play a couple of County Cricket matches before the England tour. He said, 'No Paaji, I am looking to play India A matches. Two India A matches where I will prepare for the Test series.' He had a settled plan. Suddenly, seeing him end his red-ball career is surprising. He doesn't have any fitness issues, no form issues," he said."If you look at the Australia tour, Virat is known for his big runs Down Under. He started with a century and didn't get it. He was not satisfied with it."During the Ranji Trophy, he told me, 'I want to score three or four hundreds in England. I have to take responsibility being the senior batter in the team'," the coach ended his Test career with 9,230 runs in 123 matches. The former captain's average dipped due to a lean patch over the past few years. He managed only three hundreds in the last six years in the longest format of the endured a poor run in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year, scoring 190 runs in five Tests. He began the tour with a century in the series opener in Perth but managed just 85 runs in the remaining four both Kohli and Rohit stepping away from the Test arena, India will begin the new cycle of the World Test Championship with a young team. Shubman Gill is reportedly the frontrunner to lead the Test side, while Rishabh Pant might be named his are expected to announce their Test squad for the England tour before the fourth week of May. The India A team is scheduled to play three four-day practice matches in England from June 1. advertisement
