Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket, marking the end of a distinguished 14-year journey in the format.

Kohli played 123 Tests, including 68 as captain, amassing 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85.

Taking to social media on Monday, Kohli shared an emotional farewell message.

"It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life," he wrote.

Kohli’s final stretch in Test cricket had its challenges. His unbeaten 100 in Perth (November 2024) marked his first century in over a year, with his average dropping to 32.56 in the last 24 months—a stark contrast to its peak 55.10, following his career-best 254 against South Africa in Pune (2019)*.

Despite his dip in form, team management and selectors were keen on retaining his experience for the upcoming England tour, where India will play under a new captain, with Shubman Gill emerging as the frontrunner following Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement earlier this week.

With Rohit Sharma and R. Ashwin stepping away from international cricket, and Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane absent from the squad, India’s Test setup is undergoing a shift. KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah remain as key figures from the era that saw India reach two consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) finals, with Kohli leading the side in the first.

Both Kohli and Rohit continue to hold A+ contracts in the BCCI rankings—typically reserved for players involved in all three formats. However, both had previously stepped away from T20I cricket following India’s World Cup triumph, now focusing solely on ODIs.

Kohli made his Test debut on India’s West Indies tour in 2011, showing early promise at Wankhede Stadium later that year. Despite a tough introduction to Test cricket, he announced himself on the grand stage with a century in the Adelaide Test, closing out a difficult 4-0 series loss in Australia.

Source: Online sites