"More Than Numbers...": Ex-India Cricketer Explains How Virat Kohli Will Be Remembered

With Virat Kohli announcing his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, it truly marked the end of a glorious era in Indian cricket. According to WV Raman, former Indian cricketer and coach of the senior women's team, Kohli's biggest achievement was making Test cricket feel like it was the most crucial format of playing the game. Through an Instagram post on Monday, Kohli, 36, brought down curtains on an illustrious Test career – amassing 9230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85 – making him the fourth-highest run-getter for India in the longer format after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar.

Kohli will also be remembered for being a relentless backer of playing Test cricket and urging young fans to watch the format in large numbers in stadiums. “He was a great ambassador for Test cricket, and he is one who turned out runs as consistently as the greats do. I would rate him as a great in Test cricket. Also the kind of passion he infused into the Indian team as a captain while playing Test cricket is something that is phenomenal.

“I'm sure that everybody would agree with the kind of endorsement Virat Kohli was for Test cricket. I think that's what will probably be remembered for a long, long time. Of course, the numbers will be remembered, there's no doubt about it.

“But more than the numbers, the legacy of Virat Kohli as one who really sort of kept Test cricket going and who made everybody feel that Test cricket was the most important format of cricket, I think was the remarkable aspect of his career,” said Raman in an exclusive conversation with IANS.

Kohli, who made his Test debut against the West Indies in June 2011, also led India in 68 matches in the game's longest format. Under Kohli's