According to cricket website ESPNcricinfo, Indian batting great Virat Kohli has already informed the BCCI of his intention to step away from Test cricket.
The report says that Kohli feels he has “seen the end of his journey in the longest format” and has expressed his desire to retire from Test cricket to the Indian board.
ESPNcricinfo’s Saturday report states that the 36-year-old has been in discussions with top BCCI officials for over a month, expressing his intention to retire before the upcoming England Test series.
However, some Indian media outlets claim the BCCI isn’t ready to let Kohli go just yet. Senior officials from the board have reached out to the veteran batter, urging him to reconsider his decision.
Sky Sports also reported that India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar and another BCCI official are planning to meet Kohli. But the escalating tensions surrounding the India-Pakistan conflict have cast uncertainty over that meeting.
If Kohli doesn’t change his mind, Indian cricket could soon see another legend exit the Test arena. Just last Wednesday, captain and star opener Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket.
With Rohit stepping down, India will tour England under a new captain. Shubman Gill is reportedly the frontrunner for the leadership role. Kohli’s experience was expected to be crucial in the upcoming series.
Earlier, during the Australia tour in December, Ravichandran Ashwin shocked everyone by suddenly retiring from international cricket mid-series. Now, with Rohit gone and long-time Test players like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane out of the squad, India’s red-ball team is short on experience. Mohammed Shami’s form has also dipped since his return from injury.
That leaves Kohli alongside KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah as the few experienced players in the current Test setup. If Kohli does retire before the England series, it would be a major blow to India’s red-ball ambitions.
Reportedly, Kohli has been contemplating his Test future since the Australia series, where he scored 190 runs in 9 innings at an average of 23.75 — with just one century.
His overall Test form has been inconsistent for a while. In his last 23 innings, he has just one century and two fifties. This follows a lengthy century drought from 2020 to 2022.
Between 2016 and 2019, Kohli was in sublime form — averaging 75.93 in 2016, 75.64 in 2017, 55.08 in 2018, and 68 in 2019. During those four years, he played 43 Tests, scoring 4,208 runs at an average of 66.79, with 16 centuries.
In 2023, he showed signs of returning to form — scoring 671 runs in 8 Tests at an average of 55.91, including two centuries. However, his recent struggles have reignited debates about his place in the format.
Despite all this, the BCCI retained Kohli in the top tier of its central contract list as recently as April, alongside Rohit, Jadeja, and Bumrah. That elite category is usually reserved for players who represent India across formats. But following India’s T20 World Cup triumph last year, Kohli, Rohit, and Jadeja all retired from T20Is.
If Kohli now follows Rohit in stepping away from Tests, both stars will be available only for ODIs.
Kohli made his Test debut in 2011. His early days weren’t spectacular — he hit his first two fifties in his fourth match against the West Indies, and scored his maiden century (116) in his 14th innings, in Australia.
Over time, he established himself as one of the finest batters in cricket history. So far, he has played 123 Tests, scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties. Among Indian batters, only Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, and Sachin Tendulkar have scored more Test runs than Kohli.
He also captained India in 68 Tests, winning 40 and losing just 17 — the most wins by an Indian captain. Globally, only Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48), and Steve Waugh (41) have more Test wins as captain.
