Virat Kohli Retires from Test Cricket: India's star batsman Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, ending speculation about his future in the longer format of the game. He will now play only in ODIs. With his retirement, the exit of Indian veterans from the Test format continues. Ravichandran Ashwin (in December) and Rohit Sharma (last week) have also retired from this format.

36-year-old Virat Kohli was last seen playing in Test cricket during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the Australian tour. Where India had to face defeat 1-3 in the 5-match series. Kohli did score a century in the first match of the series i.e. Perth Test, but after that he was seen struggling.

Kohli's decision to retire has come at a time when the selectors were going to select the team for the 5 Test match series to be held in England next month in a few days. Let us tell you that Kohli had retired from T20 International last year itself.

Kohli took to social media on Monday to reveal the news.

"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," the post read.

"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.

Virat Kohli's Test debut was in June 2011 against West Indies in Kingston. Kohli then scored 4 runs in the first innings and 15 runs in the second innings. His last Test was against Australia in Sydney, which was played in January 2025. In this last Test, Kohli scored 17 runs in the first innings and 6 runs in the second innings.

King Kohli has played 123 Test matches. During this time, he scored 9230 runs at an average of 46.85. Kohli has scored 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries in Tests. The right-handed batsman has established himself as a legend in the format with 7 double centuries, the most by any Indian player. He is well ahead of greats Sunil Gavaskar (4), Sachin Tendulkar (6), Virender Sehwag (6) and Rahul Dravid (5).

Virat has been the most successful captain of India in Test history. Virat captained India in 68 Test matches in which the team won 40. When Kohli took over the captaincy, the Indian team was in seventh place. But due to the hard work of himself and his fellow players, Kohli took the team to the world number-1 position.

Notably, Kohli also led India to their first-ever Test series victory on Australian soil in the 2018/19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Kohli-led India also held the No.1 spot on the ICC Test Team Rankings for five straight years from 2016 to 2021, and made it to the final of the first-ever ICC World Test Championship in 2021.