Virat Kohli has officially announced his retirement from Test cricket, closing a remarkable chapter in Indian cricket history. Over a career spanning 14 years, Kohli played 123 Tests, scoring 9230 runs at an average of 46.85 — including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. His highest Test score came in 2019 against South Africa, an unbeaten 254.
“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,” Kohli shared in an emotional Instagram post.
“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,” he added. “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 signed off with a simple but powerful statement: “I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile. #269, signing off.”
Kohli made his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies and took over the captaincy in 2014. In 68 Tests as skipper — the most by any Indian — he led India to 40 wins, 11 draws, and just 17 defeats, with a win percentage of 58.82. Under his leadership, India clinched their first-ever Test series win in Australia in 2019, marking a historic milestone.
His last appearance in whites was in Sydney earlier this year during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a match India lost by six wickets. The 36-year-old had recently retired from T20 internationals after India’s triumphant 2024 World Cup win.
Kohli’s departure follows closely on the heels of Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement, signaling a major transition for the Indian Test squad. With Shubman Gill seen as a likely captaincy candidate, India’s upcoming five-match Test series in England will begin a new era — but with a middle order missing two modern greats.
Despite his recent struggle for consistency — particularly in the latest Australia tour, where he scored just 190 runs in nine innings — Kohli retires as India’s fourth-highest Test run-scorer, trailing only Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.
Reflecting on challenges late in his career, Kohli said at a recent Royal Challengers Bengaluru Summit, “The most recent Australia tour felt the most intense for me. For a long time, England 2014 haunted me. But now, I don’t know if I’ll get another Australia tour in four years’ time.”
With his Test journey now complete, Virat Kohli leaves behind a legacy defined by passion, discipline, and unmatched commitment to the longest format of the game.
