Virat Kohli, one of India’s greatest ever players, announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday.
“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 on Instagram.
“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.”
After making his Test debut for India in 2011, Kohli quickly became one of the most proficient batters in world cricket.
He scored his first Test hundred in Adelaide, Australia, in 2011 before becoming captain of the team shortly afterwards.
During his time leading India, he had 40 wins from 68 Tests, making him the winningest Indian men’s captain in the five-day format.
The 36-year-old retires as the fourth-most successful Test captain in terms of wins behind South Africa’s Graeme Smith (53) and Australia’s Ricky Ponting (48) and Steve Waugh (41).
Outside of his captaincy, Kohli was a potent run-scorer for the Indian Test side.
He retires with 9,230 runs from 123 Tests to his name, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties at an average of 46.85. His 30 centuries are the fourth-most by an Indian player.
Kohli had already retired from the T20 format of cricket, having done so after India won the T20 World Cup last year.
Kohli’s decision comes just days after India’s Test captain Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the format.
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