Former India Test captain and star batter Virat Kohli has officially announced his retirement from Test cricket, confirming on May 12 via social media that he has played his final match in the longest format. Kohli began his Test journey on June 20, 2011, against the West Indies in Kingston, where he scored 4 and 15 in his debut match.
Over his career, he featured in 123 Test matches, amassing 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. At 36, Kohli remains one of the most celebrated Indian cricketers, frequently compared to the iconic Sachin Tendulkar.
However, he concludes his Test career 77 matches short of Sachin Tendulkar’s milestone of 200 Tests for India. In terms of Test runs, Virat Kohli ranks fourth among Indian male cricketers, with Sachin Tendulkar leading the chart at 15,921 runs—6,691 more than Kohli’s total.
While Kohli has 30 Test centuries, 21 fewer than Tendulkar’s 51, he has surpassed the legend in double centuries, registering seven scores of 200 or more compared to Tendulkar’s six.
Virat Kohli Bows Out as India’s Most Successful Test Captain
In addition to his role as a batter, Virat Kohli also captained the Indian Test team. Over his tenure, the 36-year-old led India in 68 matches, securing 40 victories, including a historic first-ever Test series win in Australia during the 2018–19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Kohli’s captaincy also saw India reach the final of the ICC World Test Championship in 2021, where they were defeated by New Zealand by seven wickets in a rain-affected match that drew attention to India’s overseas performance under pressure.
Having held the No. 4 spot in the Test batting lineup for nearly a decade, Kohli’s retirement raises the question of who will step into that key position during India’s upcoming tour of England, a crucial series in their Test calendar.
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