Sourav Ganguly gives shutting reply to Shoaib Akhtar over 'retirement' advise for Virat Kohli

Indian star batter Virat Kohli has reached big heights in his International Cricket. The Indian stalwart recently celebrated his 15th anniversary in top-flight cricket. Kohli has led the Indian team to some famous wins and has built a strong culture inside the team. 

However, there are vast opinions on Kohli and his form. Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar shared a surprising piece of advise to Kohli. In a recent interview, the Rawalpindi Express stated that Kohli should retire from ODI and T20I cricket after the ODI World Cup 2023 and keep playing Test cricket. 

"I don't think he should play more 50-overs matches after this World Cup. Also, if you see him in T20s, it takes a lot out of him. I think he should play for at least six more years and break the 100 hundreds record of Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli has it in him to break the record. He should focus on Test cricket after this World Cup, and break this record," Akhtar said to RevSportz.

Meanwhile, former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly has reacted over the same. Ganguly attended an event in Kolkata and was asked about the suggestion shared by Akhtar. The former BCCI President replied, "Why? Virat Kohli should play whatever cricket he wants to play. Because he performs."

Kohli is among the senior Indian players who are not taking part in India's T20I contests as 2023 is an ODI World Cup year. Just like Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, Kohli last played a 20-over game in the T20 World Cup in Australia. Kohli was the leading run-scorer in the tournament, having scored 296 from just six innings.

The former Indian skipper played a knock for the ages in the tournament against Pakistan when he helped India prevail out of nowhere in a tense clash. Kohli last batted in an ODI series against Australia in March 2023. He was part of the ODI squad against West Indies but featured in only one match and did not get to bat there.