After days of speculations, Indian stalwart Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket through an Instagram post on Monday (May 12).
The reports of Kohli communicating his intent to retire from Tests to the BCCI emerged a few days ago, sending shockwaves across the cricketing fraternity. While it was reported that the board is in talks with Kohli to make him change his mind, the outcome was unsuccessful.
"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," Kohli wrote on Instagram.
Kohli also acknowledge that the decision to hang up his boots from the longest format 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.
Virat Kohli, who made his Test debut in 2011, has played a key role in India's red-ball resurgence over the past decade. His aggressive captaincy, prolific batting and unmatched intensity helped India dominate Test cricket both at home and abroad.
Kohli finished his Test career with 9230 runs from at an average of 46.85 from 123 matches, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties, with the highest score of 254. Having retired from T20Is last year, the star batter will now focus solely on playing the ODI format.
Members of the Indian cricket fraternity extended congratulatory messages and paid rich tribute to Virat Kohli after he called time on his Test career.
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