Kolkata : Indian legend Virat Kohli and former Test skipper Virat Kohli has decided to hang his boots from longest format ahead of England tour, days after reports of BCCI urging him to reverse his desire to retire from Tests. This comes just few days after Rohit Sharma announced Test retirement.
Since his Test debut from 2011, Kohli’s Test career has nothing short of legendary.
Known for his aggressiveness, run scoring abilities, Kohli took up Test captaincy from 2014 and revolutionized Indian team. Notable moment came when he guided India to Border Gavaskar Trophy 2018-19 win becoming first Indian captain to win series in Australia home soil.He also guided India to No 1 in Test Ranking.
The 36-year-old played 123 Tests, amassing 9,230 runs at an average of 48.7, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties.
His final Test appearance came during the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, a series that was probably one of the lowest point in his career.
Despite a century in the opening Test in Perth, Kohli managed just 190 runs across five matches, with 85 runs coming in the last four Tests. India also lost 4-1 in that series too.
Kohli’s retirement comes at a time when questions were being raised about his place in the Test side. While his class and commitment were never in doubt, recent form highlighted a sharp decline in returns, particularly on challenging overseas pitches.
Kohli posted his retirement news on Instagram, conveying his retirement message, ending a golden chapter in Indian test history.
