12 May,2025 12:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Virat Kohli (Pic: Instagram/virat.kohli)
Team India stalwart Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from the longest format of the game. The 36-year-old took to his official social media handle to make the announcement.
Expressing his gratitude towards the format, Kohli 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. 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. ð®ð³â¤ï¸Â". Taking to Instagram:
ALSO READ
"For Virat, ultimate format of game was Test cricket": Cheteshwar Pujara
Williamson, Smith pay tribute to Virat Kohli's memorable Test career
India's prized assets Rohit, Virat, Ashwin fade into retirement after Australia debacle as India stares at new WTC cycle
How Virat Kohli transformed India into an inviolable, unstoppable Test cricket fortress
Kohli’s Test retirement leaves Tendulkar’s 100-century record untouched
Team India will begin their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle with a series against England. The side will lock horns against England for a five-match Test series, scheduled to start from June 20 onwards.
Debuting for India in 2008, Kohli has featured in 123 Test matches. He concluded his Test career by smashing 9,230 runs with a career-best score of an unbeaten 254 runs. The veteran also had 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries to his name.
His decision to step away from the format came days after Team India skipper Rohit Sharma drew curtains on his red-ball career.
Earlier, following India's T20 World Cup 2024-triumph, Kohli hung his boots from the shortest format of the game.
Having established himself as one of the greatest batsmen to have ever played the game, the veteran will continue to represent India in the One-Day Internationals.
Virat Kohli's absence from India's Test squad has left a huge void to fill.
