Tributes poured in for Virat Kohli after he called time on his illustrious Test career.
The 36-year-old took to social media to confirm his decision. In an Instagram post, Kohli wrote: "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.”
Virat Kohli further stated that the decision to call it quits wasn't an easy one, but it felt 'right' to him.
"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. #269, signing off," he concluded.
Tributes poured in for Virat Kohli after he called time on his illustrious Test career. Australian legend and former India head coach Greg Chappell also penned a heartfelt tribute, hailing Kohli as the ‘most influential figure in Indian cricket.’
"Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket marks the end of a thunderous era - a reign forged in grit, fire, and audacity. It closes the chapter on the most transformative figure in Indian cricket since Sachin Tendulkar; perhaps Kohli even eclipses him in terms of cultural influence and psychological impact on India's cricketing identity," Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.
"Kohli, the incandescent heart of Indian cricket for over a decade, did not just score runs. He redefined expectations, challenged conventions, and symbolised the self-assured, unapologetic India of the 21st century. His departure leaves not only a statistical void but a seismic shift in energy - for there has never been another quite like him," he added.
Virat Kohli, who made his Test debut in 2011, played an instrumental role in India's red-ball resurgence over the past decade with his aggressive captaincy, prolific batting and unmatched intensity on the field.
Under his captaincy, India were competitive everywhere and registered their maiden Test series on Australian soil in 2018-19. Overall, Kohli led his country in 68 Test matches and suffered defeat in only 17 of them. With 40 wins and 11 draws, he boasts a remarkable win percentage of 58.82, making him the most successful Test captain in India's history.
Kohli finished his Test career with 9230 runs from 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties, with the highest score of 254.
"Kohli lit the fire. He tore the script and authored a new one, where India was not just competitive abroad but expected to win. He was the most Australian non-Australian cricketer we've ever seen - a snarling warrior in whites, never giving an inch, always demanding more. Not just of his bowlers, his fielders or his opposition, but first and foremost, of himself," wrote Chappell.
"Australia in 2018-19 was a coronation. India had never won a Test series in Australia. Kohli, now captain, led a team that believed it could - and did. Though Cheteshwar Pujara was the hero statistically, Kohli's 123 in Perth on a devilish pitch was an innings for the ages. It was Test cricket in its rawest form - discipline, fight, elegance, and grit. India won 2-1 and, in doing so, buried decades of inferiority. No Indian captain had ever marshalled a team to such commanding overseas dominance. And no batter since Tendulkar had so unequivocally ruled in every continent," he remarked.
While Chappell acknowledged former captains Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni’s contributions for Indian cricket, he stated that it was Virat Kohli who lit the fire of wanting to do well overseas.
“There was a time when Indian cricket, particularly overseas, bore an air of respectful submission - playing with technical skill, yes, but often with psychological inferiority. That changed in stages. Sourav Ganguly gave Indian cricket a new spine. MS Dhoni brought ice-cold leadership and white-ball dominance,” he wrote.
Chappell said that Kohli did make mistakes, but one cannot deny how he was "revolutionary." The Australian great believes the Indian talisman’s "influence will be felt long after the roar has faded."
"He was polarising, yes. But so is every revolutionary. He walked with a swagger, often spoke too loudly, always played too hard. And in doing so, he became the icon of an India no longer content to play supporting roles. He was a beacon to Indians everywhere, a cricketing colossus from the subcontinent striding across Lord's, Adelaide, Centurion and Kolkata with the same fearless heartbeat," wrote Chappell.
"In every sense of the word, King Kohli reigned - and his influence will be felt long after the roar has faded. All hail the King. And thank you, Virat, for making us believe that domination and dignity could walk together," he concluded.