Sad day for Kohli fans! After a 14-year career that includes 123 Test matches, 68 of which he played as captain, and 9230 runs at an average of 46.85, Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket.
"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," he wrote on social media.
Indian veterans are leaving the game in greater numbers as a result of Kohli's departure from its longest format. Virat is the third player to make the decision to retire, after Rohit Sharma last week and Ravichandran Ashwin in December. Senior bowler Mohammed Shami's future with the Test team has also been discussed.
After Rahul Dravid (36), Sunil Gavaskar (34), and Sachin Tendulkar (51 hundreds), Kohli is the fourth-most successful Indian batsman with 30 Test hundreds. Additionally, Kohli achieved the most Test double hundreds of any Indian with seven.
In addition, Kohli has more Test hundreds than any other Indian captain, with Gavaskar coming in far behind with 11 hundreds. Following India's victory in the T20 World Cup last year, Kohli already announced his retirement from the T20I format.
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