India’s Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket: ‘I’ve given everything I had’

The former India captain Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket. The 36-year-old’s decision comes the week after Rohit Sharma, who succeeded Kohli as skipper, also retired from the red-ball format and a month before India start a five-match Test series in England.

The 36-year-old Kohli amassed 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85, putting him 19th in the all-time list for runscorers and behind only Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar among his fellow Indians.

However, Kohli’s aura had been dimming in recent years with just one hundred in his last 23 innings and three in his most recent 39 Tests, with his average dipping to a modest 30.72 since the start of 2020.

Kohli, whose 40 wins in 68 Tests in charge of India makes him his country’s most successful leader in whites, wrote on Instagram: “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.”

After India’s T20 World Cup triumph last June, Kohli retired from the format but he is still expected to continue in ODIs, where he has amassed a record-breaking 51 centuries.

Kohli, the most followed Asian and cricketer on Instagram with more than 271 million followers, made 30 Test tons and was often held up as one of the four greatest batters of this generation alongside England’s Joe Root, Australia’s Steve Smith and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson.

Tendulkar, Test cricket’s all-time leading run-scorer, led the tributes to former India teammate Kohli, who was often praised for championing the longest format amid the rise in popularity of T20s.

Tendulkar posted on his social channels: “Your true legacy, Virat, lies in inspiring countless young cricketers to pick up the sport.

“What an incredible Test career you have had! You have given Indian cricket so much more than just runs - you have given it a new generation of passionate fans and players. Congratulations on a very special Test career.”