Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket

Legendary India batter Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect. The former India captain finishes with 9230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85, which includes 30 centuries.

Kohli also bows out as India's most successful Test captain and a passionate flagbearer for the longest format during an era of unprecedented change, as cricket adapted to three formats and a booming franchise ecosystem.

In an Instagram post on Monday (May 12), Kohli wrote, "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.

"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."

Kohli's decision to step away from Test cricket comes close on the heels of the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, signalling a full-scale transition that Indian cricket hasn't witnessed since the exits of Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman in 2012, and later Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.

Cricbuzz had earlier reported on Kohli's intention to quit the longest format and how the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had