Will Kohli make the cut for IND vs ENG Tests in June? What ahead for Virat

India will play their next Test series in June after the conclusion of Champions Trophy 2025 and IPL 2025. Will Kohli find a place in India vs England Test series? Analysis here

The cricketing world finds itself at a crossroads, pondering whether Virat Kohli, the once invincible force in India’s batting lineup, will script a comeback or quietly step away from the Test arena.

 

A struggle that echoes through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 

  Since the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar, Kohli has carried the baton of Indian cricket. Yet, in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the 36-year-old’s struggles became painfully apparent. In nine innings, Kohli fell to the same pattern—caught in the slip cordon or behind the stumps eight times—yelling at himself in frustration each time. His lone bright spot was a century in Perth and a gritty 36 in Melbourne. 

Top 10 highest run-getters for India in Tests
Player	Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	0	4s	6s
Sachin Tendulkar	1989-2013	200	329	33	15921	248*	53.78	29437+	54.04	51	68	14	2058+	69
Rahul Dravid	1996-2012	163	284	32	13265	270	52.63	31184	42.53	36	63	7	1651	21
Sunil Gavaskar	1971-1987	125	214	16	10122	236*	51.12	14184+	43.35	34	45	12	908+	26
Virat Kohli	2011-2025	123	210	13	9230	254*	46.85	16608	55.57	30	31	15	1027	30
VVS Laxman	1996-2012	134	225	34	8781	281	45.97	17785	49.37	17	56	14	1135	5
Virender Sehwag	2001-2013	103	178	6	8503	319	49.43	10346	82.18	23	31	16	1219	90
Sourav Ganguly	1996-2008	113	188	17	7212	239	42.17	14070	51.25	16	35	13	900	57
Cheteshwar Pujara	2010-2023	103	176	11	7195	206*	43.6	16217	44.36	19	35	12	863	16
Dilip Vengsarkar	1976-1992	116	185	22	6868	166	42.13	10810+	41.56	17	35	15	509+	17
Mohd Azharuddin	1984-2000	99	147	9	6215	199	45.03	9892+	57.82	22	21	5	720+	19

 

 

Take away the 136 runs he scored in those two innings, and his total for the remaining seven knocks stands at a mere 54 runs. His dismissal to Scott Boland in the final Test, fishing at a back-of-length delivery in the dreaded "corridor of uncertainty", felt like the final nail in the coffin for a player once known for his precision and poise. 

Top 10 most run-getters for India in Tests+ODIs+T20Is
Player	Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	0	4s	6s
Sachin Tendulkar	1989-2013	664	782	74	34357	248*	48.52	50817+	67.58	100	164	34	4076+	264
Virat Kohli	2008-2025	543	610	88	27324	254*	52.34	34530	79.13	81	141	38	2698	305
Rahul Dravid	1996-2012	504	599	71	24064	270	45.57	46332	51.93	48	145	20	2593	66
Rohit Sharma	2007-2024	491	524	65	19398	264	42.26	22296	87	48	107	34	1868	624
Sourav Ganguly	1992-2008	421	485	40	18433	239	41.42	29305	62.9	38	106	29	2004	246
MS Dhoni	2004-2019	535	523	141	17092	224	44.74	21695	78.78	15	108	21	1469	352
Virender Sehwag	1999-2013	363	431	15	16892	319	40.6	18272	92.44	38	70	31	2354	237
Mohd Azharuddin	1984-2000	433	455	63	15593	199	39.77	22561+	66.92	29	79	14	1342+	96+
Sunil Gavaskar	1971-1987	233	316	30	13214	236*	46.2	19150+	48.25	35	72	20	1142+	47+
Yuvraj Singh	2000-2017	399	388	54	11686	169	34.98	13986	83.55	17	71	26	1233	249

 

More mental than technical

  Experts agree that Kohli’s woes appear to be mental rather than technical. His instincts seem hardwired to chase deliveries that should be left alone, a habit that has become his Achilles' heel.

 

Is retirement on the horizon?

  Despite this career-low phase, Kohli reportedly has no intention of retiring and is eyeing a spot in the 2027 ODI World Cup squad. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has consistently backed the star batter to continue, but doubts linger among selectors.

 

One former selector questioned how Kohli plans to secure a place in the squad for the England tour in June without playing any significant red-ball cricket. "Selecting players for Tests in England based on Indian Premier League (IPL) form is impractical. They need proper red-ball preparation," he told to news agency PTI.

 

Domestic cricket dilemma

  With the Ranji Trophy resuming on January 23, Delhi’s fixtures against Saurashtra and Railways could have provided Kohli a chance to return to domestic cricket. However, insiders suggest that Kohli may skip domestic cricket altogether.

 

The timing of India’s cricket calendar further complicates matters. A three-match One Day International (ODI) series against England, the Champions Trophy, and the IPL season leave little room for red-ball preparation. Unless Kohli opts out of the IPL for a county stint in England, his red-ball game may remain untested ahead of the tour. 

Virat Kohli runs in different Test playing nations
Host country	Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Avg	BF	SR	100s	50s	0s	4s	6s
in Australia	2011-2025	18	34	1	1542	169	46.72	2940	52.44	7	4	2	166	5
in Bangladesh	2015-2022	3	5	1	59	24	14.75	151	39.07	0	0	0	5	0
in England	2014-2023	17	33	0	1096	149	33.21	2111	51.91	2	5	4	129	1
in India	2011-2024	55	87	9	4336	254*	55.58	7311	59.3	14	13	7	474	16
in New Zealand	2014-2020	4	8	1	252	105*	36	438	57.53	1	1	0	38	1
in South Africa	2013-2024	9	18	0	891	153	49.5	1649	54.03	2	4	0	117	3
in Sri Lanka	2015-2017	6	10	1	394	103*	43.77	707	55.72	2	1	0	34	2
in West Indies	2011-2023	11	15	0	660	200	44	1301	50.73	2	3	2	64	2

 

 

The IPL conundrum

  Kohli’s stature as one of the biggest brands in the IPL makes skipping the tournament unlikely. As captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), he is determined to lift the trophy—a dream that has eluded him so far.

 

A last shot at revival?

  An alternative could be playing a few India A matches during their shadow tour of England before the senior team’s Test series, which begins at Leeds on June 18. 

 

India’s full schedule for 2025 

India full schedule for 2025
Date	Match	Series	Venue	Time (IST)
Jan 22, 2025	India vs England, 1st T20I	England tour of India, 2025	Eden Gardens, Kolkata	7:00 PM
Jan 25, 2025	India vs England, 2nd T20I	England tour of India, 2025	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai	7:00 PM
Jan 28, 2025	India vs England, 3rd T20I	England tour of India, 2025	Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot	7:00 PM
Jan 31, 2025	India vs England, 4th T20I	England tour of India, 2025	Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune	7:00 PM
Feb 02, 2025	India vs England, 5th T20I	England tour of India, 2025	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai	7:00 PM
Feb 06, 2025	India vs England, 1st ODI	England tour of India, 2025	Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur	1:30 PM
Feb 09, 2025	India vs England, 2nd ODI	England tour of India, 2025	Barabati Stadium, Cuttack	1:30 PM
Feb 12, 2025	India vs England, 3rd ODI	England tour of India, 2025	Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad	1:30 PM
Feb 20, 2025	Bangladesh vs India, 2nd Match, Group A	ICC Champions Trophy, 2025	Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai	2:30 PM
Feb 23, 2025	Pakistan vs India, 5th Match, Group A	ICC Champions Trophy, 2025	Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai	2:30 PM
Mar 02, 2025	New Zealand vs India, 12th Match, Group A	ICC Champions Trophy, 2025	Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai	2:30 PM
Jun 20-24, 2025	England vs India, 1st Test	India tour of England, 2025	Headingley, Leeds	3:30 PM
Jul 02-06, 2025	England vs India, 2nd Test	India tour of England, 2025	Edgbaston, Birmingham	3:30 PM
Jul 10-14, 2025	England vs India, 3rd Test	India tour of England, 2025	Lord's, London	3:30 PM
Jul 23-27, 2025	England vs India, 4th Test	India tour of England, 2025	Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester	3:30 PM
Jul 31-Aug 04, 2025	England vs India, 5th Test	India tour of England, 2025	Kennington Oval, London	3:30 PM