After a 14-year career that includes 123 Test matches, 68 of which he played as captain, and 9230 runs at an average of 46.85, Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket.
“I have worn the baggy blue in Test cricket for the first time in fourteen years. To be honest, I had no idea the path this format would lead me down. It has put me to the test, moulded me, and taught me lifelong lessons,” Kohli wrote in a Monday morning social media message. “Playing in whites carries a very particular meaning. The long days, the quiet grind, and the little moments that nobody notices but that stick with you forever.
It’s difficult for me to leave this format, but it feels right. It has returned far more than I could have imagined after I gave it everything I had. I’m leaving with a heart full of appreciation for the game, the teammates I played with, and everyone who helped me feel like I was seen. I’ll always smile when I think back on my Test career.
Prior to the crucial five-match series in England that began on June 20 and for which he was anticipated to be included in the squad, Virat Kohli had informed the BCCI of his intention to retire from Test cricket, according to a story published on ESPNcricinfo on Saturday. At the time, it was discovered that Kohli had been discussing the issue with BCCI authorities for the previous month or so.
It hadn’t been a very productive period for Virat Kohli in the format lately. His first century in Test cricket since July 2023 (against the West Indies in Port of Spain) came in November 2024 when he scored 100 not out in the Perth Test. His average over the previous 24 months was 32.56, reaching its highest of 55.10 following his career-best 254 not out against South Africa in Pune in 2019.
Although Shubman Gill is the front-runner to succeed Rohit Sharma after the latter retired from Test cricket earlier this week, it is believed that the team management and selectors needed his experience on the England tour, where India would be playing under a new captain.
Late last year, R Ashwin, in addition to Rohit, announced his retirement from international cricket. The only connections to that era of Indian Test cricket, when they advanced to two consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) finals, the first under Kohli’s leadership, are KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah. This is because Mohammed Shami’s form is under scrutiny following his return from a lengthy injury layoff, and Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are currently out of the picture.
In the most recent BCCI contracts, Virat Kohli and Rohit were placed in the highest category (A+), which is typically reserved for players who participate in all three international forms. After India won the World Cup last year, both Rohit and Kohli withdrew from Twenty20 Internationals and will only play ODI cricket from now on.
After a quiet start in Kingston, where he scored four and fifteen runs, Kohli made his Test debut during India’s tour of the West Indies in mid-2011. During that tour, he amassed 76 runs in five innings. Later that year, at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, Kohli first displayed glimmers of his abilities, scoring fifty-two and sixty-three runs. India lost 4-0 on the ensuing, disastrous visit of Australia, but Kohli ended the series with a victory, recording his first Test century in the Adelaide Test.
In 2014–15, Virat Kohli first significant Test series took place in Australia.
He amassed 692 runs at an average of 86.50 for the series after scoring twin hundreds in Adelaide and then hundreds in Melbourne and Sydney. He was also captain of India’s Test team at that time. Kohli was promoted after MS Dhoni, the appointed captain, missed the first Test due to a thumb injury. After that match, Dhoni resigned from the format completely. He returned for and captained the second Test in Brisbane and stayed in same role for the third Test in Melbourne. After that, Virat Kohli took control.
In the ensuing heyday, India won 40 of the 68 games that Virat Kohli led and just lost 17. At the time of his retirement, Virat Kohli was ranked fourth on the list of captains with the most Test victories, behind Graeme Smith (53 from 109), Ricky Ponting (48 from 77), and Steve Waugh (41 from 57). With 40 victories, he became India’s most successful Test captain ever, with Dhoni (27 from 60) and Sourav Ganguly (21 from 49) ranking below him.
Another highlight was the 2018 visit of England. In the five Test matches, he amassed 583 runs at an average of 59.30, including two hundreds, making him the leading scorer for both teams. The feat was made the more memorable by the fact that it followed a 2014 tour in which he had only managed 134 runs in 10 innings. In terms of total runs for a year, 2018 was also his best year, scoring 1322.
He averaged 75.93 in 2016, 75.64 in 2017, 55.08 in 2018, and 68.00 in 2019 during his heyday. Between 2016 and 2018, Virat Kohli amassed 3596 runs at an average of 66.59 in 35 Test matches, with eight fifties and 14 hundreds in 58 innings.
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