Virat Kohli, the world’s most famous cricketer and one of India’s greatest ever batters, has announced his retirement from Tests.
In an Instagram post on Monday, Kohli wrote, “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.”
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The 36-year-old’s international future had been the subject of intense speculation in India, with reports emerging on Saturday that he had informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of his intention to quit a month ago. BCCI officials had reportedly asked him to reconsider as they prepare for this summer’s tour of England but his mind was made up.
Kohli played 123 Tests — the traditional, longer form of cricket which in which games span a maximum of five days — in a career which lasted for 14 years after his debut in 2011. He scored 9,230 runs, made 30 centuries and was, for a time, the world’s No 1 ranked batter.
He was also an inspirational captain for India after his appointment in 2014. He led the country to 40 wins in 68 Tests, the best record of any skipper in its history, before stepping down in 2022. During that period, he took India to the top of the world Test rankings and claimed their first-ever series victory in Australia in 2018-19.
Kohli’s remarkable statistics were underpinned by his aggressive tactics and ferociously competitive personality, which made him one of the sport’s most colourful and controversial characters.
He also enjoyed one of the biggest profiles of any cricketer in the modern era, matched only by his compatriots Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni. That fame has been accelerated by his career dovetailing with the rise of social media: Kohli, who is married to the Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, has around 390 million combined followers on Instagram, Facebook and X. In 2020, Forbes ranked him 66th on its list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, courtesy of $20million (£15m) worth of endorsement deals with a range of commercial partners.
Kohli retired from India’s Twenty20 team in June 2024, shortly after making a match-winning 76 in the World T20 final against South Africa, while he also played a significant role in helping India win the 50-over Champions Trophy in March.
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Kohli’s last Test hundred came in November, during India’s tour of Australia, but his powers had been declining. In 19 innings last year, he averaged just 24.52, significantly down on his career average of 46.85. In the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings from May 6, Kohli was ranked as the 26th best Test batter.
His retirement leaves India in turmoil ahead of the England tour. The BCCI was already in the process of appointing a new captain after Rohit Sharma announced he was stepping down with immediate effect on May 7. Another great, Ravichandran Ashwin, quit the sport earlier this year.
The Indian Premier League (IPL), where Kohli has been in fine form for his franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, was suspended on Friday for a week due to the ongoing military skirmishes between India and Pakistan. On Saturday, the two countries announced a ceasefire.
‘The end of an era’
Analysis by Anantaajith Raghuraman
As with the retirements of Tendulkar and Dhoni, Kohli’s exit marks the end of an era. His declining numbers in the longest format suggest this was coming but Kohli has never been one to shy away from a challenge. The struggles in England in 2014 gave way to him becoming India’s most dependable overseas batter as the powers of the legends around him — Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman — waned. India struggled to find an opening combination that consistently delivered abroad, which meant Cheteshwar Pujara and Kohli at No 3 and No 4 shouldered the bulk of responsibility.
The last five years have brought back weaknesses that plagued Kohli early in his career as a brash but fiercely talented batter. The chastening 3-0 home series defeat by New Zealand brought one lapse in concentration after another, while the tour of Australia saw him caught behind the stumps eight times in nine innings, routinely chasing balls outside off stump without sufficient feet movement. The disappointment of those two series, which denied India a place in the World Test Championship final, as well as the start of the 2025-27 WTC cycle may have played a part in the timing of Kohli’s decision.
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In the larger context, Kohli’s departure continues a transition period that India have been patient with despite his and Sharma’s inconsistencies in the aftermath of the team dropping Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. India’s top order in England next month will likely include Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, while the experienced KL Rahul may be required to open. There could be a recall for Shreyas Iyer, who has not played in Tests since February 2024, in the middle order. B Sai Sudharsan, who has lit up the IPL since his debut in 2023 and has experience playing in England after featuring for Surrey in the 2024 County Championship, is in line to receive a maiden Test call-up too.
(Top photo: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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