Tags: India,
Virat Kohli,
retirement
Published on: May 12, 2025
In a moment that has sent ripples through the cricketing world, Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing an end to an illustrious 14-year career in the longest and most revered format of the game. The announcement came via an emotional Instagram post early Monday morning, shortly after India’s Test captain Rohit Sharma also confirmed his own retirement from red-ball cricket.
Kohli’s decision, though long speculated in recent days, still arrives as a profound surprise for fans and pundits alike. Reports emerged over the weekend suggesting that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had been in active discussions with Kohli, urging him to reconsider. However, those conversations seem to have proven unsuccessful, paving the way for one of India’s modern greats to bid farewell to Test cricket on his own terms.
In his heartfelt message, Kohli reflected on the day he first donned the whites for India, a moment that came back in 2011. He wrote:
“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. 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.”
Kohli leaves behind a formidable legacy in Test cricket. Over the span of 113 matches, he amassed over 8,800 runs at an average of 49.3, including 29 centuries and 28 half-centuries. His tenure as India’s Test captain — widely hailed as one of the most transformative eras in Indian cricket — saw the team reach the summit of the ICC Test rankings and register historic victories overseas, including a groundbreaking Test series win in Australia in 2018-19.
More than just the numbers, Kohli’s passion, intensity, and unrelenting commitment to fitness redefined India’s approach to Test cricket. His belief in pace-dominated attacks, coupled with an aggressive mindset, set new benchmarks for Indian teams abroad.
Tributes have already begun pouring in from cricketing legends, teammates, and fans across the globe, recognizing Kohli’s invaluable contributions to the game. While his departure leaves a void in India’s Test batting lineup, his impact on shaping modern Indian cricket will be felt for generations to come.
As Kohli steps away from whites, speculation now turns to his future in limited-overs formats, where he remains an active and central figure. For now, though, the cricketing fraternity pauses to celebrate the Test career of a player who wore his heart on his sleeve and gave everything to the purest form of the game.
A modern-day great, Virat Kohli’s Test legacy is etched in history — a journey of grit, glory, and timeless memories.
