In a shocker to ardent cricket fans, Virat Kohli on Monday announced his retirement from Test Cricket. Kohli took to Instagram to announce the development.
While sharing a picture from the field, he wrote on Instagram: “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.”
He further wrote that even though this decision wasn’t an easy one, it felt right. “I’ve given everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for.” While thanking his fans and viewers, Kohli said that he is walking away from Test cricket with gratitude.
“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,” he said towards the end of his post.
Soon after Virat Kohli’s announcement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India wrote on X: “𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶! An era ends in Test cricket but the legacy will continue FOREVER! @imVkohli, the former Team India Captain retires from Test cricket. His contributions to #TeamIndia will forever be cherished (sic)!”
Kohli’s final Test appearance was in the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy that was held in Australia. The tournament was an embarrassing one for Kolhi as he managed just 190 runs across 5 matches, with 85 runs coming in the last 4 Tests. His century at Perth was the highlight of this tournament.
Kohli made his Test debut against the West Indies in 2011 and solidified his spot during the Australia tour later that year. As captain, he led India to 40 wins in 68 Tests, making him the most successful Indian Test captain by wins.
He retires as the fourth-most successful Test captain globally, following Graeme Smith (53 wins), Ricky Ponting (48 wins), and Steve Waugh (41 wins). Kohli recorded 30 Test centuries, ranking fourth among Indian batters, behind Sachin Tendulkar (51), Rahul Dravid (36), and Sunil Gavaskar (34).
He also achieved seven Test double hundreds, the highest for an Indian. As a captain, Kohli holds the record for the most Test hundreds by an Indian, significantly ahead of Gavaskar, who had 11 centuries.
