Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket, drawing the curtain on a remarkable 14-year journey. The former India captain played 123 Tests, scoring 9230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 29 centuries. Of those matches, he led India in 68, winning 40 – the most by any Indian Test captain.
Kohli debuted in 2011 against the West Indies and endured a modest start. However, he announced himself with twin fifties in Mumbai later that year and scored his first century in Adelaide on a tough 2011–12 tour of Australia. His breakthrough came in the 2014–15 Australia series, where he amassed 692 runs, including four centuries. He became full-time Test captain after MS Dhoni’s retirement mid-series.
Under his leadership, India became a dominant red-ball side, even reaching two World Test Championship finals. His golden run between 2016 and 2019 saw him average over 65, scoring 14 hundreds. He had stellar tours of England in 2018, banishing past struggles with 593 runs in five Tests. Kohli’s career-best Test score of 254* came against South Africa in Pune in 2019.
In a heartfelt statement, Kohli reflected on the emotional depth of Test cricket, saying, “The long days, the small moments that no one sees – they stay with you forever.” He added, “I’ve given it everything, and it’s given me so much more in return.”
Though his recent form dipped — averaging 32.56 in the past two years — he remained a vital figure. His last century, a gritty 100* in Perth in November 2024, broke a long drought. He informed the BCCI of his decision before the upcoming England series, where Shubman Gill is expected to lead the side in Rohit Sharma’s absence.
Kohli will continue playing ODIs, having already stepped away from T20Is after India’s 2024 World Cup win. With R Ashwin, Rohit, and others having retired, Indian Test cricket now enters a new era.
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