India, June 21 -- Last month, Virat Kohli found himself at the centre of Test comeback speculation not once, but multiple times - ironically in the same month that marked a year since his shock retirement from the format.

It began when Kohli gifted a red-ball-themed pair of shoes to his childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma. The veteran coach's reaction immediately caught attention: "I always remember why red-ball cricket was important for you." Days later, Rajkumar further fuelled the chatter when he said on a podcast, "We are talking about it... let's see what happens."

As if that wasn't enough, social media went into overdrive again after Kohli appeared alongside Ravi Shastri on a podcast wearing a sweater that many fans felt resembled tr...