Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket, ending a 14-year career that comprised 123 Tests, 68 of those as captain, and 9230 runs at an average of 46.85. He scored 30 fifties and 31 half-centuries with a best score of 254*. He captained India in 68 Tests, winning 40 of them, including the first-ever Test series win in Australia in 2018-19.
Kohli informed the BCCI on Saturday of his desire to retire from Test cricket, ahead of the crucial five-match series in England beginning June 20, for which he was anticipated to be part of the squad.
In an Instagram post on Monday (May 12), 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. 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."
Following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, Kohli's decision to leave Test cricket marks a significant change that Indian cricket hasn't seen since the departures of Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman in 2012, and then Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.
