India’s Kohli follows Rohit into Test retirement

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

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.

“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,” Kohli said on Instagram.

“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.”

Kohli scored 9,230 runs in 123 Tests to stand fourth in India’s all-time list of Test run-scorers.

He had already told the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he wished to retire from Test cricket ahead of this summer’s series in England.

It is understood the 36-year-old told chief selector Ajit Agarkar in April of his desire to step away before the start of the 2025-2027 World Test Championship cycle in June.