Virat Kohli, the former India captain, has announced his retirement from Test cricket with just a little over a month to go before the England tour. Kohli, 36, made the decision days after fellow Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma bid adieu to the format. The news that Kohli informed the BCCI about his decision to retire from Test cricket sent shockwaves. He still isn't as aged as some of the legends to have continued playing before him and has yet to breach the 10,000-run mark. Still, Kohli felt it was the right time to walk away from the format, having scored 9,230 runs from 23 Tests at an average of 46.8 and ending as India's fourth-highest run-scorer in Tests behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921), Rahul Dravid (13,265) and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122).
"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," Kohli announced on social media. "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."
Rohit ready to play in ODI
Earlier, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket just days before the national selection committee gets together to pick the team for the upcoming five Test series in England. It is learnt that Rohit conveyed to the Indian cricket board (BCCI) and selectors that they should not consider him as captain for the tour.
He had retired from T20Is after leading the team to the T20 World Cup triumph last year. The BCCI later tweeted that Rohit would continue to be India’s ODI skipper. Rohit made up his mind to give up Test cricket after a week of discussions with the selectors. Rohit initially wanted to see where he stood in red ball cricket after the first two Tests in England and then take a call on his career.
“Rohit himself offered to relinquish Test captaincy. Last week, he communicated to selectors that they should be looking for other options. He wanted to test himself out in the first two Tests. However, the selectors weren’t comfortable with that idea,” a BCCI source said.
