\"Virat is an icon actually. He is one of the greatest players to have played Test cricket. He always loved to play and win Test cricket matches all the time. He was always there to promote playing Test cricket ahead of everything. For me, Virat Kohli is the brand ambassador of world cricket and did so much to promote Test cricket amongst players and fans.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"He would always say to the youngsters that you should play Test cricket and be known as Test cricketers, instead of just being known for playing white-ball cricket. The way he played Test cricket, that will be missed a lot by the entire cricketing world. He did the captaincy of the Test team so well,\" said Sarandeep in an exclusive conversation with IANS.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Apart from being India\u2019s fourth-highest run-getter in Tests, Kohli also led the side in 68 matches in the game\u2019s longest format. Under Kohli\u2019s captaincy, India won 40 matches, including winning a Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia for the first time in 2018-19, making him the country\u2019s most successful Test captain of all time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kohli\u2019s decision to retire from Tests comes days after Rohit Sharma announced his Test retirement. The veteran duo retiring in a week means India will travel for their five-match Test tour of England with a huge vacuum in their batting order.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sarandeep, who was Delhi\u2019s head coach when Kohli played a Ranji Trophy match after 12 years - against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium earlier this year \u2013 admitted to being taken aback by the talismanic batter\u2019s decision to quit playing Tests and felt the team, now firmly in a transition period, still needed him.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"It comes as a very surprising development for me because I still feel he can play for another 2-3 years. All of this happened very soon because Test cricket needs Virat Kohli very badly. With him now going away from Test cricket, people will now stop watching it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sarandeep, who was Delhi\u2019s head coach when Kohli played a Ranji Trophy match after 12 years - against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium earlier this year \u2013 admitted to being taken aback by the talismanic batter\u2019s decision to quit playing Tests and felt the team, now firmly in a transition period, still needed him.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Also Read: <\/b> LIVE Cricket Score<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n