Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from test match cricket with immediate effect (Al Jazeera)
by Mick the Ram
In a shock decision, legendary India batter Virat Kohli has announced his immediate retirement from Test cricket.
The team are due to face England in a five-Test series this summer starting 20 June, so this news will be a huge disappointment to the tens of thousands of Indian cricket fans who would have been looking forward to seeing him at one of the test venues.
It was only last week that their captain Rohit Sharma also made it known the he too was retiring, meaning the side will be losing two of their greatest assets.
Kohli retired from T20 internationals in 2024, after India’s World Cup victory, but is expected to continue playing one-day internationals.
Over the years, he has become synonymous with consistency in the test match arena; indeed apart from one series in Bangladesh, Kohli scored centuries in every country that he played.
He retires as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in Test cricket with 9,230 runs, bettered only by Sachin Tendulkar (15921), Rahul Dravid (13265) and Sunil Gavaskar (10122).
The now 36-year-old has long been regarded as one of the four batting greats of his era, alongside England’s Joe Root, Australia’s Steve Smith and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson.
In his home country it is difficult to overstate Kohli’s stardom, or indeed the influence he has, other than to acknowledge that he has been the biggest presence in what is the most powerful cricketing nation in the world.
Tough baptism in the West Indies
It was back in 2011 that Kohli made his Test debut in Kingston, Jamaica, during India’s tour of the West Indies. It would be fair to say that he found his introduction a challenge as he managed scores of just 4 and 15 runs in his two innings.
He went on to bat in three more innings on that tour, limping to an accumulated total of only 76 runs. Nevertheless, his potential was there for all to see and it was more a case of adapting to different conditions that he had not been used to.
Back in India against the West Indies again later that year, he demonstrated the talent he possessed with two excellent knocks of 52 and 63 both constructed with a host of wonderfully timed shots. He had arrived and he never looked back.
Remarkable stats
He leaves the test arena having played 123 times for his country, scoring his 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, completing 30 centuries, plus a further 31 half-centuries into the bargain.
That total of 30 places his fourth in the list of most Test hundreds by Indians, bettered only by Sachin Tendulkar (51), Rahul Dravid (36) and Sunil Gavaskar (34) – not a bad trio to be alongside.
Fine company to be with
Kohli went on to captain India in 68 of his Tests, winning an impressive 40 of those, which makes him the country’s most successful leader in that format.
It also makes him the fourth-most successful skipper in the history of all Test cricket, outstripped only by Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48) and Steve Waugh (41); whilst fourth place is again where he sits in the list of most runs as Test captain, with his 5,864 beaten by Graeme Smith (8659), Allan Border (6623) and Ricky Ponting (6542) – again a very impressive set of individuals to share a leaders board with.
Right time to go?
In Indian conditions, Kohli played 55 Test matches and scored 4,336 runs, including 14 centuries and 13 half-centuries. His highest Test score also came on home soil, a commanding 254 not-out against South Africa, in Pune in 2019.
However, his form had begun to drop with his 100 not out in the first Test against Australia last November, being his first century in 15 innings, stretching across 16 months.
Grateful to the game
Turning to social media to leave a message, Kohli posted how he could not have imagined the “journey” test cricket would take him on. “It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life,” he said, before adding: “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.”
Continuing, he spoke of how stepping away from the test format would not be easy for him, but he felt it was the right time. “I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for; so 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.”
Governing body full of praise
India cricket’s governing body, the BCCI, praised Kohli for “redefining the standards of excellence, leadership and commitment in Indian cricket”.
Their president, Roger Binny added: “Virat Kohli’s name will be remembered alongside the finest ever to have graced Test cricket; what set him apart was not just his hunger for runs, but his commitment to excellence in the toughest format of the game.
“His leadership marked a shift in how India competed overseas – with aggression, belief and a refusal to settle for second best. He inspired a generation to take pride in the whites, and his impact on Indian cricket will be felt for decades to come.”
Tribute from a fellow great
One of the few Indian cricketers able to be mentioned in the same conversation as Kohli is Sachin Tendulkar and he paid tribute when casting his mind back to a gesture made by the player during his own final test match.
“You offered to gift me a thread from your late father. It was something too personal for me to accept, but the gesture was heart-warming and has stayed with me ever since.
“While I may not have a thread to offer in return, please know that you carry my deepest admiration and very best wishes. Your true legacy, Virat, lies in inspiring countless young cricketers to pick up the sport.”
Not quite the final “over”
Although the retirement of Kohli – following on so quickly from that of Rohit Sharma – signals another stage in the regeneration of the India Test team, there will it is to be hoped – from an Indian perspective at least – plenty more one-day international innings to savour.
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