Era ends: After a 14-year illustrious career, Virat Kohli says goodbye to Test cricket.
In a historic red-ball career that spanned 123 matches, produced 9230 runs, and featured 30 hundreds and 31 fifties, Indian cricketing legend Virat Kohli has formally declared his retirement from Test cricket.
Only a week after colleague and current captain Rohit Sharma similarly announced his retirement from the longest format, Kohli posted the heartfelt news on social media. Kohli reflected on the trip that started in 2011 against the West Indies and developed into one of the most significant Test careers in contemporary cricket in a poignant article.
There’s a very intimate aspect to playing in whites. After concluding with his Test cap number, #269, Kohli added, “I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more.”
When Kohli surmounted difficult circumstances to score his first Test century in Adelaide during the 2011–12 tour of Australia, his ascent in Test cricket really got underway. He then developed into a formidable batter and, eventually, a legendary leader.
Also Read: Rohit Sharma, the captain of India, declares his retirement from Test cricket
The most successful Test captain in Indian cricket history, Kohli guided his team to 40 victories in 68 Test matches. The only captains with more Test victories are Steve Waugh (41), Ricky Ponting (48), and Graeme Smith (53).
Kohli has had an equally impressive batting legacy in Test cricket:
• After Rahul Dravid (36), Sunil Gavaskar (34), and Sachin Tendulkar (51), this Indian player has the fourth-most Test hundreds (30).
• 20 Test hundreds as captain: an Indian record that well exceeds Gavaskar’s 11; • 7 double hundreds: the most by any Indian Test batter
An era characterized by energy, emotion, and an unwavering quest of excellence comes to an end with Kohli’s retirement. His absence from the whites will create a gap at the most traditional stage of world cricket, even though he continues to play in the lesser formats.
