Akash Deep on India missing Virat Kohli on England tour: It’s a team sport

India’s fast bowler Akash Deep said the team decided to move on after Virat Kohli’s Test retirement before the England tour. Kohli decided to call time on his Test career on May 12 after scoring 9230 runs in 123 Test matches at an average of 46.85.

Deep, who did a decent job on England tour, said cricket is a team sport and individuals are bound to come and go. India were without their two stalwart batters – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – but managed to draw the Anderson-Tendulkar series 2-2.

“See, it’s a team. I feel one day – we may or may not be part of it, someone will be after us. The team’s atmosphere will continue to be the same. 11 guys form a team, not one. And everyone is important. He took the team to newer heights; everybody saw the transformation that happened (during Kohli’s time). Today, it’s Gill – his first series and the huge achievement. So everyone is doing well” Akash told Aaj Tak.

Meanwhile, Deep was star of the show at Edgbaston, Birmingham, where he scalped 10 wickets in the match. Deep returned with figures of 4-88 in the first innings and then picked 6-99 in the second essay. Overall, Deep’s figures of 10-187 were the best for any Indian fast bowler in English conditions.

The Bengal cricketer scalped 13 wickets in three Test matches against England at an average of 36.46.

On the other hand, former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar said he would have asked Virat Kohli to retire after the England tour if he had been a national selector.

“If I were the Indian chief selector, I would have persuaded Virat to bid goodbye to Test cricket after playing the England series. We needed his class and experience in this series,” Vengsarkar told The Times of India.

Akash Deep will take part in the upcoming Duleep Trophy.