T HE scheduled Indian tour of England for a Test series was eagerly awaited by cricket fans for a special reason. It was supposed to be the last outing for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in whites for India. Instead, an anti-climax has unfolded for the fans with the twin retirements of the veterans. A few days after Rohit Sharma announced his departure from Test cricket, Kohli followed suit much to the chagrin of his long legion of fans. The King of Red-Ball Cricket has brought an abrupt end to his fans’ dreams, putting a question mark on the popularity of the upcoming series. It is not an exaggeration but a simple fact that Test cricket, especially featuring India, had the big advantage of Virat Kohli’s presence in the middle.

 

He was a brand, sitting much above than his contemporaries who had equal talent but never could match the aura of Kohli. The former India skipper was a magnet that attracted fans to the longer version despite the onslaught of Twenty20 leagues round-the-clock. With Brand Kohli missing, cricket in whites has a new challenge of attracting audience. It is also a challenge for the sponsors and marketers to find another Virat Kohli who could keep the heart of Test cricket beating in rhythm. Kohli had a special love for Test cricket, something he had inherited from his mentor and idol Sachin Tendulkar. His game bloomed on classicism that cricket in whites bestows on its real lovers. Even in the shorter formats, Kohli relied heavily on orthodox strokes while occasionally choosing the slam-bang as per the need of the situation. It helped him immensely in all formats as Test cricket found its beat in Kohli’s expansive cover drives. It drew hordes back to the stadium.

 

He had been the face of red ball cricket for almost a decade. All of a sudden he has quit, leaving the administrators, fans and fellow players to brood on the future without heartbeat. Kohli was a cushion for the longest format of the game. He could lure sponsors and investors to red-ball cricket when white-ball was making all the commercial statements with mushrooming of newer leagues. Among his contemporaries like Joe Root and Steve Smith, Kohli stood at a higher pedestal for the magic he created with his passionate show in the whites. It resulted in the marketers focusing totally on the Delhi batsman to sell the product. None had thought of looking beyond Kohli. In fact, they did not have a choice to look beyond the former India captain as there was (and is) hardly a player who could evoke the same sentiment. When Tendulkar retired, the administrators and sponsors had Kohli to fall back upon. Now, in the post-Kohli era, the challenge looks daunting. New-age cricketers are still finding their footing in the international arena. The success of T20 cricket has made it difficult for them to concentrate on Tests. The Gills, Pants and Bumrahs are stars but none is like Kohli the superstar. Test cricket needs a brand, urgently.