Virat Kohli officially announces his retirement from Test Cricket after a prolonged period of uncertainty over his future.
Virat Kohli officially has announced his Test retirement with immediate effect.
Kohli ends his test career having played 123 tests, scoring 9230 runs at an average of 46.95, and 30 centuries to go with 31 half-centuries.
In an Instagram post today, 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.
After it was previously disclosed by several sources that Kohli had notified the BCCI of his intention to retire from the longest format, the move also ends days of conjecture. However, because of the proximity to an important England test series away, the BCCI had asked the batter to think about his choice.