Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket, announced by an Instagram Post

A few days ago, Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket. After his retirement, speculations started about Virat Kohli’s future in the red-ball format. The legendary star himself expressed his desire to retire from Tests. He has conveyed that message to the BCCI, according to media sources. Ashwin retired last December. Rohit has also stepped down. The BCCI was not willing to lose Kohli at any cost before the England tour. A couple of days ago, he was also requested to reconsider the decision. But no request was made. Today, Virat himself announced on social media that he is going to end his 14-year colorful Test career. He will play only One-Day Internationals.

Virat Kohli has not been seen in a familiar rhythm in Tests since 2019. He hinted at a comeback in 2023. But the form did not last long. Especially last year, he showed discomfort against both pace and spin. He failed at home against Bangladesh and New Zealand. He did not get much success in the tour of Australia either. Although he scored a century in the second innings of the first Test in Perth, he could not cross the half-century mark in any of the remaining four Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. His old problem against balls outside the off-stump also returned. He was repeatedly being caught by wicketkeepers or slip fielders by poking him. Kohli also decided to play Ranji to get back in the running. That plan did not work either. The ball of an anonymous Railways pacer knocked his stumps.

Finally, Virat Kohli felt it was appropriate to withdraw from Tests. Today, he announced his retirement in a long post on Instagram. He wrote, “14 years ago I first donned India’s baggy blue cap in Test cricket. I never expected that the long journey in this format would test me like this. It would shape me as a player. And teach me lessons that I will remember for the rest of my life. The feeling of playing in the white jersey is very personal. The long hours, the silent battles, the small moments that escape everyone’s eyes, they stay with you forever. Today, the decision to step away from this format is not easy, but it feels right. I have given my all. And this format has given me so much more in return.”

Virat Kohli made his international debut in 2008. He received his Test cap in 2011. He first stepped onto the field for the country in the white jersey against the West Indies in Kingston. Virat has represented India in 123 matches in a 14-year career. He scored 9230 runs. At the best of his career, his batting average reached 55.10. The continuous failures of the last few years have brought it down to 46.85. He has scored 30 centuries in Test cricket. Of these, 7 are double centuries. Among Indians, Kohli is after Sachin, Dravid, and Gavaskar in terms of Test centuries. He has scored 31 half-centuries. Virat captained India in the red-ball format from December 2014 to January 2022. He won 40 of the 68 Tests. He is the first Indian captain to win a Test series in Australia.