Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket ahead of India's tour of England

The world cricket fraternity was left in a state of bewilderment on Monday (May 12) as star Indian batter Virat Kohli announcement his retirement from Test cricket in an Instagram post.

The 36-year-old Kohli, who admitted that it wasn't an easy call to make, turned up in 123 Tests for India, scoring 9230 runs with 30 hundreds at an average of 46.85. He will now only play in ODIs, having already retired from T20 Internationals last year.

"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," Kohli announced on his instagram page, putting an end to incessant speculation about his future in the format.

"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," he added.

The megastar's last Test assignment was a largely underwhelming tour of Australia in which he managed just one hundred. He ends his career well short of the 10,000 run mark, which was at one stage considered a formality.

The right-hander nonetheless signs off as a giant of the format with seven double hundreds, the highest for an Indian and well ahead of the iconic duo of Sunil Gavaskar (4), Sachin Tendulkar (6), Virender Sehwag (6) and Rahul Dravid (5).

At a time when T20 leagues became the most sought after and watched showpiece in international cricket, Kohli's aura played a significant role in keeping fans hooked to Test cricket.

This was acknowledged by no less than Sir Viv Richards, with whom he was often compared.

"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 in his farewell note for the format.

"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'll always look back at my Test career with a smile," he added.

His retirement continues the exodus of Indian bigwigs from the Test arena. Ravichandran Ashwin (in December) and Rohit Sharma (last week) are the others to have called it quits in the format.

Kohli's Test retirement full statement 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.

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.

Kohli has already retired from T20 International after India won the showpiece eveny in 2024. India's tour of England for five-match Test is scheduled to begin on June 20. After Rohit, Kohli is the second player to hang his boots before the selectors announce the squad for the five-match Test series.

What led to Kohli's retirement from Test cricket?

36-year-old Kohli's form with the bat in Test cricket has been a cause of concern from past one year. Since 2024, Kohli has played 21 innings in 11 Test matches, crossing the 50-run mark only twice. He scored 70 against New Zealand in Bengaluru and 100 not out against Australia in Perth. Despite 170 runs coming from these two innings, his total across the 21 innings stands at just 441, at an average of 23.21.

For a batter like Kohli, these numbers show he has not been able to deliver for the team as he or the management would have expected, which might be one of the reasons why he decided to sideline himself from red-ball cricket.

Virat Kohli records

In his 123-match-long Test career, Kohli amassed 9,230 runs, the fourth-highest by an Indian batter behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), Rahul Dravid (13,265 runs) and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 runs). Kohli also has 30 Test centuries to his name, the fourth-most by an Indian batter behind the same trio. However, Kohli has seven double centuries in Test cricket—the most by an Indian batter. Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag are joint second, with six double centuries each.