Indian great Kohli follows Rohit into Test retirement

(REUTERS): India batter Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, bringing down the curtain on a sparkling career in the longest format just days after captain Rohit Sharma did the same.

“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,” Kohli said on Instagram.

Kohli, who made his debut in 2011 and scored 30 centuries and 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85 over 123 Tests, is expected to remain available for one-day internationals.

The 36-year-old quit Twenty20 Internationals immediately after India won their second 20-overs World Cup trophy in West Indies last year.

“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,” Kohli posted on Instagram.

“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.”

While Kohli’s final Test wrapped up a 3-1 Test series defeat by Australia in January that saw India relinquish the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade, he will be remembered most for his spell as captain between 2014-2022.

Kohli won 40 of his 68 Tests in charge of India to become the country’s most successful skipper in the format and sits fourth in the list of captains with the most Test victories.

Only Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48) and Steve Waugh (41) won more Tests as captains.

India suffered only 17 defeats with Kohli at the helm as he guided the side to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021, where they lost to New Zealand.

He was also part of the team that lost the second World Test Championship final to Australia in 2023.

“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,” he added.

“I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile.”

India’s next Test assignment is a five-match series in England from June 20.

“An era ends in Test cricket but the legacy will continue FOREVER!” the Board of Control for Cricket in India wrote on X over the former captain’s retirement announcement.