Ending days of swirling speculation, Virat Kohli has officially announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing the curtain down on a legendary 14-year career that redefined Indian cricket. The 36-year-old broke the news through a heartfelt Instagram post, leaving fans across the world emotional and stunned in equal measure.
With just over a month left before India’s much-awaited tour of England, Virat Kohli’s announcement comes on the heels of Rohit Sharma’s Test exit. Informed quietly to the BCCI, his decision sent shockwaves through the cricketing community early Saturday. Despite still being relatively young by cricketing standards and 770 runs short of the coveted 10,000-run club, Kohli felt the time was right to step away. He finishes his Test journey with 9,230 runs from 113 matches at an average of 46.8, standing tall as India’s fourth-highest run-getter after legends like Tendulkar, Dravid, and Gavaskar.
In his emotional farewell post, Kohli wrote,
“It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. This format has tested me, shaped me, and taught me life lessons. The grind, the long days, the unseen moments — they’ve all stayed with me. As I step away, it’s not easy but feels right. I walk away full of gratitude.”
With Kohli’s departure, the Sydney Test against Australia marks his final appearance in whites. His retirement, alongside Rohit and Ashwin’s exit and the absence of veterans like Rahane and Pujara, leaves India staring at a new era with significantly reduced experience for the England series. Ravindra Jadeja is now poised to be the most capped player in an otherwise young squad.
From now on, Kohli’s sole focus will be ODIs — where he’s already a titan — with the 2027 World Cup in South Africa shining bright on his radar.
Also Read:- Rohit Sharma Retires from Test Cricket: What It Means for Team India and Who Could Be the Next Captain
The Golden Years: Kohli’s Unmatched Test Legacy
Leading India to unprecedented highs, Kohli exits as the nation’s most successful Test captain — 40 wins in 68 matches. His captaincy peak was the historic 2-1 series triumph in Australia in 2018-19, the first time India conquered Aussie soil. Under his leadership, India topped Test rankings for five consecutive years and bagged the ICC mace repeatedly.
Kohli’s love affair with Test cricket was no secret. A vocal flag-bearer of the format, he built a fearsome pace battery with coach Ravi Shastri that transformed India into a lethal touring side capable of dismantling teams at home and away.
From Firebrand Youngster to Test Titan
Kohli’s Test journey was a saga of transformation. Once the fiery youngster who flipped off the Sydney crowd, he matured into the world’s most formidable Test batter. His first century in Adelaide marked the beginning of greatness, and his maiden overseas ton in Johannesburg in 2013 paved the path for bigger conquests. Yet, it wasn’t all smooth sailing — the disastrous England tour of 2014, where James Anderson exposed his weakness outside off, was a humbling phase.
But like all champions, Kohli roared back. His next tour to Australia was seismic — 692 runs in four Tests at an average of 86.40, with four masterful hundreds. The twin tons in Adelaide cemented his reputation as Australia’s perennial nemesis. Over his career, Kohli amassed 3,320 runs and nine centuries against the Aussies — the highest by an Indian batter against them.
Between 2015 and 2019, Kohli was an unstoppable juggernaut. The 2016 season was his personal Everest — 1,215 runs at 75.93, including a career-best 235 against England. In 2018, he erased the scars of his 2014 England debacle with a scintillating 593-run tour, averaging 59.30 against Anderson and co., a masterclass that won him the ICC Test Player of the Year award.
Also Read:- Riyan Parag Creates IPL History: First Ever to Smash Six Sixes in Successive Balls
The Decline and the Farewell
Post-2019, Kohli’s dominance began to wane. After scoring a century in India’s first-ever day-night Test, he endured a three-and-a-half-year drought without a hundred. In this period, his average dipped from 55.10 to under 47, and he relinquished captaincy across formats after the 2022 South Africa series defeat.
Though he rediscovered his scoring touch with centuries before retirement, the blistering fluency that once defined his game seemed elusive. His last significant Test effort — a gritty 76 against South Africa under Rohit’s captaincy — was a reminder of his enduring class even as he prepared to bow out.
End of an Era, Beginning of a Legacy
Virat Kohli’s Test retirement closes a monumental chapter in Indian cricket but leaves behind a towering legacy. His passion, aggression, and sheer willpower inspired a generation and transformed India into a global Test powerhouse. While his red-ball journey ends, the King’s quest in ODIs continues — eyes now firmly set on conquering the 2027 World Cup.
Also Read:- IPL 2025: 14-Year-Old Vaibhav Suryavanshi Shatters Records with Blazing Century for Rajasthan Royals
Ending days of swirling speculation, Virat Kohli has officially announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing the curtain down on a legendary 14-year career that redefined Indian cricket. The 36-year-old broke the news through a heartfelt Instagram post, leaving fans across the world emotional and stunned in equal measure.
With just over a month left before India’s much-awaited tour of England, Virat Kohli’s announcement comes on the heels of Rohit Sharma’s Test exit. Informed quietly to the BCCI, his decision sent shockwaves through the cricketing community early Saturday. Despite still being relatively young by cricketing standards and 770 runs short of the coveted 10,000-run club, Kohli felt the time was right to step away. He finishes his Test journey with 9,230 runs from 113 matches at an average of 46.8, standing tall as India’s fourth-highest run-getter after legends like Tendulkar, Dravid, and Gavaskar.
In his emotional farewell post, Kohli wrote,
“It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. This format has tested me, shaped me, and taught me life lessons. The grind, the long days, the unseen moments — they’ve all stayed with me. As I step away, it’s not easy but feels right. I walk away full of gratitude.”
With Kohli’s departure, the Sydney Test against Australia marks his final appearance in whites. His retirement, alongside Rohit and Ashwin’s exit and the absence of veterans like Rahane and Pujara, leaves India staring at a new era with significantly reduced experience for the England series. Ravindra Jadeja is now poised to be the most capped player in an otherwise young squad.
From now on, Kohli’s sole focus will be ODIs — where he’s already a titan — with the 2027 World Cup in South Africa shining bright on his radar.
Also Read:- Rohit Sharma Retires from Test Cricket: What It Means for Team India and Who Could Be the Next Captain
The Golden Years: Kohli’s Unmatched Test Legacy
Leading India to unprecedented highs, Kohli exits as the nation’s most successful Test captain — 40 wins in 68 matches. His captaincy peak was the historic 2-1 series triumph in Australia in 2018-19, the first time India conquered Aussie soil. Under his leadership, India topped Test rankings for five consecutive years and bagged the ICC mace repeatedly.
Kohli’s love affair with Test cricket was no secret. A vocal flag-bearer of the format, he built a fearsome pace battery with coach Ravi Shastri that transformed India into a lethal touring side capable of dismantling teams at home and away.
From Firebrand Youngster to Test Titan
Kohli’s Test journey was a saga of transformation. Once the fiery youngster who flipped off the Sydney crowd, he matured into the world’s most formidable Test batter. His first century in Adelaide marked the beginning of greatness, and his maiden overseas ton in Johannesburg in 2013 paved the path for bigger conquests. Yet, it wasn’t all smooth sailing — the disastrous England tour of 2014, where James Anderson exposed his weakness outside off, was a humbling phase.
But like all champions, Kohli roared back. His next tour to Australia was seismic — 692 runs in four Tests at an average of 86.40, with four masterful hundreds. The twin tons in Adelaide cemented his reputation as Australia’s perennial nemesis. Over his career, Kohli amassed 3,320 runs and nine centuries against the Aussies — the highest by an Indian batter against them.
Between 2015 and 2019, Kohli was an unstoppable juggernaut. The 2016 season was his personal Everest — 1,215 runs at 75.93, including a career-best 235 against England. In 2018, he erased the scars of his 2014 England debacle with a scintillating 593-run tour, averaging 59.30 against Anderson and co., a masterclass that won him the ICC Test Player of the Year award.
Also Read:- Riyan Parag Creates IPL History: First Ever to Smash Six Sixes in Successive Balls
The Decline and the Farewell
Post-2019, Kohli’s dominance began to wane. After scoring a century in India’s first-ever day-night Test, he endured a three-and-a-half-year drought without a hundred. In this period, his average dipped from 55.10 to under 47, and he relinquished captaincy across formats after the 2022 South Africa series defeat.
Though he rediscovered his scoring touch with centuries before retirement, the blistering fluency that once defined his game seemed elusive. His last significant Test effort — a gritty 76 against South Africa under Rohit’s captaincy — was a reminder of his enduring class even as he prepared to bow out.
End of an Era, Beginning of a Legacy
Virat Kohli’s Test retirement closes a monumental chapter in Indian cricket but leaves behind a towering legacy. His passion, aggression, and sheer willpower inspired a generation and transformed India into a global Test powerhouse. While his red-ball journey ends, the King’s quest in ODIs continues — eyes now firmly set on conquering the 2027 World Cup.
Also Read:- IPL 2025: 14-Year-Old Vaibhav Suryavanshi Shatters Records with Blazing Century for Rajasthan Royals
