On Monday morning at 11:54 AM, legendary 36-year-old Indian batter and former captain Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable 14-year journey. A career that blended passion with performance, aggression with grace, and legacy with leadership. Kohli took to Instagram to share the news of his retirement, writing:
“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… I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for.”
Kohli made his Test debut against the West Indies in 2011, in Kingston, Jamaica. Since then, he has gone on to become one of India’s greatest Test players, finishing his red career with 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an impressive average of 46.85, including 30 centuries.
A Record-Breaking Journey
- He scored the most runs in a calendar year by an Indian batter across 5 different years: 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2023.
- As a captain, he scored a record 5,864 runs, leading the team in a transformative phase.
- He holds the record for most double centuries by an Indian – seven – six of which came during his captaincy tenure.
- His knock of 254against South Africa in 2019 remains the highest score by an Indian captain in Tests.
Over the years, Virat Kohli established himself as one of the most consistent and impactful batters in the history of Test cricket. One of his standout achievements was scoring the most runs in a calendar year by an Indian batter not just once, but in five different years — 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2023.
As a captain, Kohli led from the front. He scored 5,864 runs while leading the side — the most by any Indian captain. During this phase, he set the record for the most double centuries by an Indian in Tests with seven, six of which came under his own captaincy.
One of those unforgettable knocks came in 2019, when Kohli smashed an unbeaten 254 against South Africa, setting the record for the highest individual score by an Indian Test captain.
Test records That Define His Legacy
Kohli holds several landmark records, including:
The Adelaide 141 (2014)
In a high-scoring thriller against Australia in Adelaide, Kohli scored 115 in the first innings and followed it up with a stunning 141 in the second — almost pulling off a dramatic win. Despite the defeat, his fearless strokeplay against the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Lyon showed that Indian batting abroad had a new face — fearless and aggressive.
2016: A Year of 4 Double Centuries in a Row
In 2016, Virat Kohli had an exceptional year in Test cricket, scoring 1,215 runs at an average of over 75. He achieved a remarkable feat by scoring four double centuries in four consecutive series against the West Indies, New Zealand, England, and Bangladesh, becoming the first Indian to hit four double centuries in four consecutive series. This period stamped him as the most dominant batter in world cricket.
The Australia Series Win (2018–19)
Perhaps the crowning jewel of his captaincy came in 2018–19, when he led India to their first-ever Test series win on Australian soil. During the series, Kohli also became the first Asian captain to score a century at Perth.
Lord’s Hundred (2018)
After a forgettable tour in 2014, Kohli came back strong in England. His century at Lord’s in 2018 was more than just a hundred — it was a strong reply to his critics. He handled the swinging conditions well and finished the series as the top run-scorer for both teams.
Captaincy Streak
Under Kohli captaincy, India won 9 consecutive Test series between 2015 and 2017 — the longest by an Indian captain.
Kohli’s Top Test Records
Most centuries by an Indian captain: 20.
Most hundreds in Australia by an Indian: 7.
Highest ICC rating points (937) ever achieved by an Indian batter (2018).
Kohli’s final Test match came in January 2025, during the 5th Test of the 2024-2025 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In that match, he scored 17 and 6 in his two innings.
Kohli’s retirement comes days after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the longest format of cricket.
While Kohli is likely to continue playing 50-over format cricket, his absence from Test cricket leaves a significant void. As fans and cricketing legends respond to his decision, tributes continue to flow for a player who redefined modern red-ball cricket in India. Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket marks the end of one of the most significant chapters in Indian cricket history.