The BCCI had asked him to withdraw his decision, but now Kohli has made it clear that this is the final and confirmed decision.
Virat posted a note on social media saying, ‘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.
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.
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.
I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile.
#269, signing off.’
The 36-year-old Kohli made his Test debut against the West Indies in 2011, and since then, he has played 123 Test matches for India. He scored 9,230 runs in Tests, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. His average was 48.7.
Kohli’s last Test match was held in Australia during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He did score a century in the first Test, but his performance in the remaining 4 Tests was weak and he could score only 190 runs. His getting caught out in a slip 8 times out of 10 shows his troubles.
In recent times, questions have been raised about his Test form. Although there was never any doubt about his passion and hard work, his form on foreign pitches had dropped a lot.
Kohli also did a great job as India’s Test captain. Under his captaincy, India won the Test series for the first time in Australia in 2018-19 and took India to number 1 in the ICC Test rankings. He won 40 out of 68 Tests as captain, which is the best record of any Indian captain so far.
Before this retirement in Test Cricket, Kohli had already retired from T20I after India won the 2024 T20 World Cup. Kohli will continue to play ODIS, but his absence in Test cricket will leave a huge void.
As soon as the news of his retirement came out, emotional reactions and tributes started coming from fans and the cricket world.
Virat Kohli gave a new identity to Indian Test cricket and today his departure is a heartbreaking moment for everyone.
India will now miss two of its biggest cricket stars, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, in Test matches. Just a few days ago, Rohit Sharma also announced his retirement from Test cricket. Now with both Virat and Rohit gone, it feels like the end of a special time in Indian cricket. Their fans are very emotional, and it won’t be easy to fill their place in the team.
