Virat Kohli to Retire from Test Cricket Too!

Just days after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket, reports suggest that another Indian superstar, Virat Kohli, is set to follow the same path. According to Indian media, Kohli has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of his desire to retire from Test cricket.

India is set to play a five-match Test series against England starting from June 20, and Kohli is expected to be part of the squad. However, knowing this, the former captain has reportedly contacted BCCI officials to express his intention to step away from the longest format.

If the BCCI accepts Kohli’s request, or if the former skipper doesn’t reconsider his decision, it will mark the end of a glorious Test career.

In his illustrious career, Kohli has played 123 Tests, scoring 9230 runs in 210 innings at an average of 46.85. He has notched up 30 centuries and 31 fifties, with a highest unbeaten score of 254.

Despite an outstanding career, Kohli has struggled to maintain his form in Test cricket recently. Since scoring an unbeaten century (100*) in Perth, he has failed to reach fifty in his last seven innings. In fact, it took him 15 innings before that Perth century to register his previous hundred.

Despite his dip in form, Indian selectors are reportedly eager to have Kohli in the squad against England, relying on his experience as the team prepares for a new era under a new captain. Rohit Sharma is no longer available, Ravichandran Ashwin is also out, and veterans like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have been dropped due to poor form. Apart from Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah, Kohli remains the only senior figure in the side.

Kohli has long been a pillar of India’s leadership group. Before Rohit Sharma took over, Kohli captained India in 68 Tests, winning 40 of them and losing only 17—making him the most successful Test captain in India’s history.