Putting an end to days of speculation, on Monday, former India captain Virat Kohli drew curtains on his illustrious Test career. The retirement announcement came on social media, with Kohli sharing a lengthy text along with a picture from his recent tour of Australia.
Kohli's announcement came just five days after Rohit Sharma ended his Test career. The two significant developments happened only weeks before the BCCI selectors' scheduled meeting to pick the Test squad for the crucial tour of England.
Taking to Instagram, Kohli looked back at his 14-year journey in the format he cherished, which shaped him as a person as he went through the ups and downs in his career. The 36-year-old admitted that while the decision to move away from Test cricket was not easy, it felt right, and that he is walking away with a "heart full of gratitude."
Kohli's statement read: “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. There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever. As I step away from this format, it’s not easy — but it feels right. I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for. I’m walking away with a heart full of gratitude — for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way. I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile.”
A look back at Kohli's career
The India great played 123 Tests, scoring 9230 runs at 46.85. He was the fourth-highest run-getter for India in the format and 19th overall. His tally of 30 centuries was also the fourth-best among Indians. But he converted seven of those scores to double tons, the highest for an Indian and well ahead of the iconic duo of Sunil Gavaskar (4), Sachin Tendulkar (6), Virender Sehwag (6) and Rahul Dravid (5).
{{/usCountry}}The India great played 123 Tests, scoring 9230 runs at 46.85. He was the fourth-highest run-getter for India in the format and 19th overall. His tally of 30 centuries was also the fourth-best among Indians. But he converted seven of those scores to double tons, the highest for an Indian and well ahead of the iconic duo of Sunil Gavaskar (4), Sachin Tendulkar (6), Virender Sehwag (6) and Rahul Dravid (5).
{{/usCountry}}While Kohli's Test career ended with a 1-3 defeat to Australia in January in the Border-Gavaskar series, he will be remembered most for his spell as captain between 2014 and 2022. He led India to 40 wins in 68 Tests in charge to become the country's most successful skipper in the format and sits fourth in the list of captains with the most Test victories. Only Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48) and Steve Waugh (41) won more matches as captains.
India never lost a home series under his captaincy and Kohli also led the team to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021, where they lost to New Zealand.
Kohli will now only play in ODIs, having already retired from T20Is last year.