India great Kohli retires from Test cricket

His decision comes before this summer's five-Test tour of England, which starts on 20 June, and follows captain Rohit Sharma's retirement on Wednesday.

Kohli, 36, has played 123 Tests for India and scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85.

"It's been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket," Kohli posted on social media.

"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 retired from T20 internationals in 2024, after India's World Cup victory, but is expected to continue playing one-day internationals.

After making his Test debut against West Indies in 2011, Kohli went on to captain India in 68 of his Tests, with his 40 wins in charge making him the country's most successful leader in the format.

"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 added.

"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 has long been regarded as one of the four batting greats of his era, alongside England's Joe Root, Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand's Kane Williamson, and has scored 30 Test centuries.

Only Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar have scored more Test runs for India than Kohli, while he has the most centuries for an India captain with 20.

But his most recent Test ton, 100 not out in the first Test against Australia in November, was his first in 15 innings across 16 months.

During that series, he scored 190 runs in nine innings averaging just 23.75.

Only three tons have come in 39 Tests since January 2020. He averages 30.72 in that time.

Analysis by chief cricket reporter Stephan Shemilt

And so cricket's greatest showman leaves its grandest stage. Not with a final century, wave of the bat or guard of honour, but with a post to his 271m Instagram followers. The end of an aura.

It is hard to overstate Kohli's fame, stardom or influence. He is the biggest presence in the most powerful cricketing nation on the planet. Maybe his name does not travel globally like a Ronaldo or Messi, yet even those two titans will have no idea what it feels like to be Virat Kohli in India.

As a batter, Kohli continued the talismanic lineage of Gavaskar, Azharuddin and Tendulkar. His cover drive is a work of art. In 2018, a Kohli net session in Adelaide went viral, the ball leaving the bat with sound of a pistol being fired. He is the first of the Fab Four to leave Test cricket and while his numbers do not stack up to Smith, Root and Williamson, Kohli is the most pleasing to watch.

As a leader, Kohli dragged the India Test side into the 21st Century. Having more Test wins than any other India captain is statistically significant, though that pales when compared to what Kohli did for his team and Test cricket itself.

It is not an exaggeration to say Kohli was the most important factor in upkeeping the relevance of the longest format when it could otherwise have been completely swallowed by the T20 leagues.

Kohli follows Rohit Sharma into retirement as the regeneration of the India Test team continues. The XI that lines up to face Headingley in late June will have an unfamiliar feel. There may be more one-day internationals to savour. In that format, Kohli really is the GOAT.

Even with the histrionics, everything he did was must-see. Without Kohli, Test cricket will be a poorer spectacle.

Issued on BBC Sport | https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/articles/c0mrzlr919xo