Virat Kohli wants to retire from Test cricket
In a potential turning point for Indian cricket, star batter Virat Kohli has reportedly informed the BCCI of his decision to retire from Test cricket, a move that has sent shockwaves through the cricketing fraternity. According to The Indian Express, the Indian board is now urging Kohli to reconsider, especially with the high-stakes five-match Test series in England just around the corner.
Virat Kohli wants to retire from Test cricket
Sources reveal that the 36-year-old, who has donned the whites for India in 123 Tests, believes it’s time to “move on” from the longest format. While Kohli hasn’t formally announced the decision to the public yet, he has conveyed it to the board. The BCCI, stunned by the development following Rohit Sharma’s own retirement from Test cricket earlier this week, is trying to convince the veteran to stay at least for the England tour.
Virat Kohli wants to retire from Test cricket
Kohli has been weighing his red-ball future for months, reportedly since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia earlier this year, where after a century in the first Test, he struggled for consistency. He finished the series with an underwhelming average of 23.75 and a visible vulnerability to deliveries outside off-stump falling prey to them seven out of eight times.
Virat Kohli wants to retire from Test cricket
Behind closed doors, Kohli had also opened up about the emotional toll the tour had taken. Speaking candidly at a Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) event in March, he admitted to feeling the mental burden of expectations and form:
Virat Kohli wants to retire from Test cricket
“I might not have an Australia tour again in me in four years’ time,” he confessed. “You start burdening yourself… you start getting desperate. That’s something I experienced in Australia.”
With 9,230 Test runs under his belt at an average of 46.85, Kohli has been a pillar of Indian Test cricket since his debut in 2011. He captained the side from 2014 to 2022, leading them to unprecedented heights, including a historic series win in Australia. His leadership was followed by Rohit Sharma’s brief but influential tenure.
Virat Kohli wants to retire from Test cricket
Now, with both stalwarts stepping away, India faces a major transition. The middle-order is suddenly short on experience, with only KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and a returning Rishabh Pant left to carry the baton. Gill, notably, is being tipped to take over the Test captaincy.
Kohli had already called time on his T20I career after India’s World Cup triumph last year in the West Indies. However, he has shown no signs of slowing down in the IPL, where he has racked up 505 runs in 11 matches this season at a brisk strike rate of 143.46.
Virat Kohli wants to retire from Test cricket
His recent conversation with Rahul Dravid appears to have played a pivotal role in shaping his mindset. “As long as the love [for the game] is intact, I will continue to play,” Kohli had said. “You have to just pray and hope that you get clarity when it comes.” Now, it seems, that clarity has arrived, though fans and selectors alike will be hoping it’s not final.
