Key points
- Kohli bows out after distinguished 14-year Test career
- He compiled 9,230 runs at average of 46.85
- Walking away is not easy: Virat Kohli
ISLAMABAD: Indian batting great and former captain Virat Kohli has officially retired from Test cricket, just days ahead of the expected announcement of India’s red-ball squad for the five-match home series against England.
Kohli bows out after a distinguished 14-year Test career, during which he represented India in 123 matches and led the side in 68 of them.
He compiled 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, establishing himself as one of the finest batters of his generation.
In an emotional statement shared on social media on Monday morning, Kohli reflected on his journey in the longest format:
“It’s been 14 years since I first donned the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I could never have imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, moulded me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life,” he wrote.
Emotional goodbye
“There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites—the quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that go unseen but remain etched in memory forever,” he added.
Kohli also acknowledged the emotional weight of stepping away and the profound influence Test cricket has had on his life.
“Walking away isn’t easy—but it feels right. I’ve given everything I had to this format, and it has given me back far more than I could’ve ever hoped for. I leave with a heart full of gratitude—for the game, for my teammates, and for every single person who made me feel seen through the years. I’ll always look back on my Test career with a smile,” he concluded.
According to media reports, the 36-year-old had informed the BCCI of his decision prior to the England series, which begins on 20 June. He had reportedly been in talks with board officials over his future in the format for more than a month.
India’s batting order
While Kohli remained a cornerstone of India’s batting order for years, his recent Test form had come under scrutiny. His unbeaten century in the Perth Test in November 2024 was his first since July 2023, when he reached three figures in Port of Spain against the West Indies.
Following his career-best 254 against South Africa in 2019, Kohli’s average peaked at 55.10, but it dipped to 32.56 over the last two years.
Despite his dip in form, the Indian team management and selectors were eager to retain his experience for the demanding England series.
Kohli’s departure comes close on the heels of Rohit Sharma’s own retirement from Test cricket earlier this week, and R. Ashwin stepping away from the international scene late last year, marking a significant shift in India’s Test setup. Shubman Gill is widely expected to take over as the new red-ball captain.
With Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane out of selection reckoning and Mohammed Shami recovering from injury, only KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah remain from the core that took India to two consecutive World Test Championship finals—one of which was under Kohli’s captaincy.
BCCI’s elite
Both Kohli and Rohit were part of the BCCI’s elite A+ central contract group, reserved for multi-format players. However, after retiring from T20Is following India’s T20 World Cup win last year—and now Kohli stepping away from Tests—the duo is expected to focus solely on ODIs.
Kohli made his Test debut on the 2011 tour of the West Indies. After a modest start, managing only 76 runs from his first five innings, he began to find his feet later that year, registering fifties at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
His maiden Test century came in Adelaide during the 2011–12 tour of Australia, a bright spot in an otherwise tough series for India.
Test career
As captain, Kohli oversaw 40 wins in 68 Tests, making him India’s most successful Test skipper. Globally, he ranks fourth in terms of Test victories as captain, behind Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48), and Steve Waugh (41).
One of his standout performances came during India’s 2018 tour of England, where he was the series’ top run-scorer with 583 runs at an average of 59.30, including two centuries—a significant turnaround from his difficult 2014 tour.
Between 2016 and 2018, Kohli was at the peak of his powers, scoring 3,596 runs in 35 Tests at an average of 66.59. During that golden phase, he notched up 14 centuries and eight half-centuries, with yearly averages of 75.93 (2016), 75.64 (2017), and 55.08 (2018).
