'#269, signing off': Virat Kohli announces retirement from Test cricket

New Delhi: Former Indian cricket captain and stalwart Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday.

The decision came after it was reported that Kohli had communicated his decision to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ahead of next month's five-match Test series against England.

BCCI made extensive efforts to persuade Virat Kohli to continue playing Test cricket, but their attempts ultimately proved unsuccessful. Reports indicated that Kohli had already conveyed his decision to step away from the longest format of the game to the BCCI selection committee. Even after a highly influential figure in Indian cricket was reportedly asked to intervene, Kohli remained firm in his stance and refused to reconsider his retirement.

"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 wrote in his Instagram post.

"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," he added.

In less than a week, both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have retired from Test cricket, leaving the Indian team with significantly less experience in the batting lineup.

Since making his Test debut in 2011, Kohli has been instrumental in India's red-ball resurgence. His aggressive leadership, prolific batting, and relentless intensity helped shape India into a dominant force in Test cricket, both at home and overseas.

Kohli will bid adieu to his Test career with 9230 runs in 123 matches at an impressive average of 46.85 with 30 centuries and 51 half-centuries. He hangs up his spikes as the fourth-most successful Test captain overall, behind Graeme Smith (53 wins), Ricky Ponting (48 wins), and Steve Waugh (41 wins).

Kohli’s 30 Test centuries make him the fourth-most successful India batter, behind Sachin Tendulkar (51 hundreds), Rahul Dravid (36), and Sunil Gavaskar (34). Kohli also made seven Test double hundreds, the most ever by an Indian. He also has the most Test hundreds by an Indian captain, with Gavaskar (11 centuries) way behind his 20 tons.

The right-handed batter previously announced his retirement from the T20I format after India's T20 World Cup triumph last year. The 36-year-old will now only feature in ODI cricket for India.

(with inputs from IANS)