Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket PlayersGautam Gambhir reacts after Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket; entire cricketing world in shock
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir posted a message for Virat Kohli after he shocked the cricketing world with his announcement of retirement from Tests
Virat Kohli shocked the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from Test cricket ahead of a five-match Test series against England. Kohli's retirement came days after Rohit Sharma's decision, as it turned out to be a double blow for the Indian team, who will be missing the duo's rich experience on the England tour, which will also kickstart their new World Test Championship cycle.
Kohli posted an note on Instagram where he shared his 14-year journey of playing Test cricket - a format which he cherishes the most. The batting maestro last played Test for India on the Australia tour earlier this year where he led the team on the last day of Sydney clash after Jasprit Bumrah got injured.
Kohli finished his illustrious career with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85. He struck 30 hundreds and 31 fifties with a highest score of 254 not out. He also holds the record most double centuries by an Indian in red-ball cricket - 7.
The cricketing world was in meltdown after Kohli announced the big decision on social media.
Kohli's former RCB teammate and his good friend AB de Villiers shared a message for him on X and wrote, “Congrats to my biscotti @imVkohli on an epic Test career! Your determination & skill have always inspired me. True legend! #ViratKohli.”
Young India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is expected to take his and Rohit Sharma's legacy forward, also posted a heartfelt note for the two stalwarts of Indian cricket.
“Pajji , I grew up watching you and Rohit bhai play, and from the moment seeing both of you in that Indian jersey I dreamed of one day doing the same. Both of you have been a source of inspiration not just for me, but for an entire generation who fell in love with cricket because of the passion and intensity you brought to the game. The impact you’ve had on Test cricket, and on cricket in India as a whole, is immeasurable. To have had the chance to share the pitch with you — someone I looked up to for so many years — was more than just a privilege; it was a moment I’ll carry with me forever,” Jaiswal wrote on X.
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir also wrote a message for Kohli and said he will miss him.
“A man with lion’s passion! Will miss u cheeks….” Gambhir wrote on X.
Meanwhile, veteran India spinner Harbhajan Singh was shocked by his decision to retire from Tests.
“Why Retired ? @imVkohli,” he wrote on X.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar also hailed Kohli for giving his all to the oldest format of the game.
“Biggest brand of the modern cricket era who gave it all for cricket’s oldest format. Test cricket owes that debt to Virat Kohli,” he wrote.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen just can't believe the news of Kohli's retirement. Pietersen, who is currently the mentor of Delhi Capitals, posted several shocked emojis on social media, expressing his displeasure with Virat deciding to step away from Tests.
Taking to X, he wrote, “Virat (shock emojis).”
The 36-year-old led India to great heights in red-ball cricket, helped them dominate in the overseas conditions, including their first-ever series win on Australian soil during the 2018 and 2019 tour. Under his leadership, India won some historic Tests in England and South Africa. He relinquished his Test captaincy in 2022 and finished as the most successful Test captain in Indian cricket history. In the 68 Tests Kohli led, India won 40 out of them with a winning percentage of 58.82.
