Virat Kohli Announces Retirement From Test Cricket
Virat Kohli, India’s one of the most celebrated cricketing legends, on Monday has announced his retirement from Test cricket ahead of the upcoming England series. Leaving behind a remarkable legacy, this decision from the former Indian captain would mark the end of an era.
“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,” Virat wrote on Instagram.
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The 36-year-old has brought down the curtain on his red-ball career which stood out for the past 14 years and 123 Tests. The Delhi batter had made his debut against the West Indies on June 20, 2011, in Kingston.
In total, Kohli had played 123 Tests, amassing 9,230 runs at an average of 48.7, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties.
Kohli ended his post with “#269, signing off”.
Kohli, who was known for his stupendous performance on the field, however, stocks dwindled drastically post Covid in 2020, aggregating only 2028 runs in 68 innings with three centuries and nine fifties. And incidentally, his 30.72 average is the lowest among all 24 Test batters who have aggregated at least 2000 runs since 2020.
However, despite his decision to call time on his red-ball career, Kohli remains one of the fine batters in the format. Kohli stands fourth on the all-time charts among Indian batters, only behind the legendary trio of Sachin Tendulkar (15,921), Rahul Dravid (13,265), and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122) with 9,230 runs at a 46.85 average.
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In 2014, Kohli took over the Test captaincy reins from MS Dhoni and led India over a successful eight-year tenure.As a captain, he had brought in aggression and fitness to the forefront, leading India to their first-ever Test series win in Australia in 2018–2019 and taking the team to the top of the ICC Test rankings. Under his leadership, India had played 68 Tests, in which he had won 40. Meanwhile, Kohli is expected to continue playing ODIs.
