Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, leaving behind an unmatched impact on the longest format as a leader and a player.
The 36-year-old calling quits marks an end to an illustrious 14-year-old career which saw him dominate in the toughest of the conditions, regions, and opponents in whites, both as a batter and captain.
Kohli took to his Instagram handle and announced his decision to retire from the longest format of the game.
"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 wrote on Instagram.
"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. I'll always look back at my Test career with a smile. #269, signing off," the post added.
Virat Kohli's everlasting legacy: Test centuries, records and stats
In a Test career that spanned for 14 years, Kohli played 123 Test matches and scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties in 210 innings. He scored seven double centuries with best score of 254 not out. The middle-order batter is India's fourth-highest run-getter in the format, behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), Rahul Dravid (13,265 runs) and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 runs).
Kohli made his Test debut in 2011 against West Indies. While his first Test tour was a massive disappointment with just 76 runs in five innings, a young Kohli made a name for himself with some big, counter-attacking knocks in the coming days.
His rise as a Test player began in Australia when he smashed a stunning century at Adelaide in 2012. He scored 116 in 213 balls. On a tour where legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virendra Sehwag and MS Dhoni struggled, Kohli came back as the highest scorer for India with over 300 runs in four Tests, including a century and fifty.
Between 2011 to 2015, he made 2,994 runs in 41 Tests at an average of 44.03, with 11 centuries and 12 fifties in 72 innings. In the 2014-15 tour to Australia, where he also took over as a captain, Kohli amassed over 600 runs with four tons, including twin centuries in Adelaide.
This series was even more special as it followed a horrid Test series to England where he had managed to score just over 130 runs across 10 innings. That was a turning point in his Test career, after which he hit an all-time great prime.
From 2016 to 2019, Kohli had one of strongest batting primes ever for a Test cricketer, piling up 4,208 runs in 43 Tests at an average of 66.79, with 16 centuries and 10 fifties in 69 innings and best score of 254*. This also included seven double centuries, most by a captain in Test cricket history.
This included 100s across the oceans with India winning some of the most memorable Test matches overseas. In this period, Kohli also became the first player two smash four double tons in as many series.
He had answered most critiques with his dominating run in Test cricket and he was back in England, one place where he had failed terribly earlier. He answered all questions with one of his best knocks, scoring 149 runs at Edgbaston in Birmingham. He ended the series with over 500 runs and was awarded the Player of the Tournament.
Kohli also scored a century at Centurion in South Africa and a ton at Perth in Australia in the same series. He had a century in Australia, England and South Africa in the same year in 2018, cementing his place among the legends of the game.
However, the 2020s have not been great for the superstar batter, having made just 2,028 runs in 39 Tests at an underwhelming average of 30.72, with just three centuries and nine fifties to show in 69 innings. His numbers received a boost from a fine 2023, where he made 671 runs in eight Tests at an average of 55.91, with two centuries and two fifties in 12 innings.
He ended last year with just 382 runs in 10 Tests at a shocking average of 22.47, with just one century and fifty in 19 innings. His last Test outing was the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour to Australia from November-January, where he made just 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75, with his century at Perth being a highlight.
That century was his first since July 2023, when he hit a ton against West Indies at Port of Spain in 2023. Also, his last century at home came against Australia in early 2023 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Ahmedabad.
Virat Kohli: India's greatest Test leader
Virat Kohli took over as India's Test captain in 2014 when the team was ranked 8th in the rankings. In Kohli's very first match as the skipper, India played aggressive brand of cricket against Australia and went down by just 32 runs at Adelaide. Kohli himself had smashed two centuries in the match. That match sent a strong message of the brand of cricket India would go on to play for the next eight years.
Under Kohli, India won their first Test series in Sri Lanka after 22 years in 2016 and in West Indies after a long time. India also won a Test series in Australia for the first time in 2018-19 and drew a Test series in England 2-2 in 2021-22. He also led India to memorable wins in South Africa. Under Kohli, India also won 11 home Test series in a row at home.
With 40 wins in 68 matches, he remains India’s most successful Test captain. Only Steve Waugh (41), Ricky Ponting (48), and Graeme Smith (53) have registered more wins as Test captains.
Kohli is often credited for India's fitness and fast bowling revolution and for having created one of the most dominant Test teams with three Test maces in a row from 2017-2019. He also led India to the WTC final in 2021, where India lost to New Zealand.
Kohli's career has been about overcoming several setbacks and taking Indian cricket to new highs.
Be it smashing a peak Australian attack led by Mitchell Johnson for 692 runs including four centuries during Australia tour in 2014-15 and announcing himself as the new captain, guiding India to ICC World Test Championship maces, having a dream-like, redemption tour to England in 2018 worth 593 runs and five fifty plus scores after managing just 134 runs in 10 innings during his last time in UK or braving world-class bowling attacks in Centurion, Melbourne, Perth, Edgbaston and at his own home with some world-class knocks, the 36-year-old has given fans tonnes of memories to replay and cherish forever.
The 36-year-old calling quits marks an end to an illustrious 14-year-old career which saw him dominate in the toughest of the conditions, regions, and opponents in whites, both as a batter and captain.
Kohli took to his Instagram handle and announced his decision to retire from the longest format of the game.
"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 wrote on Instagram.
"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. I'll always look back at my Test career with a smile. #269, signing off," the post added.
Virat Kohli's everlasting legacy: Test centuries, records and stats
In a Test career that spanned for 14 years, Kohli played 123 Test matches and scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties in 210 innings. He scored seven double centuries with best score of 254 not out. The middle-order batter is India's fourth-highest run-getter in the format, behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), Rahul Dravid (13,265 runs) and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 runs).
Kohli made his Test debut in 2011 against West Indies. While his first Test tour was a massive disappointment with just 76 runs in five innings, a young Kohli made a name for himself with some big, counter-attacking knocks in the coming days.
His rise as a Test player began in Australia when he smashed a stunning century at Adelaide in 2012. He scored 116 in 213 balls. On a tour where legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virendra Sehwag and MS Dhoni struggled, Kohli came back as the highest scorer for India with over 300 runs in four Tests, including a century and fifty.
Between 2011 to 2015, he made 2,994 runs in 41 Tests at an average of 44.03, with 11 centuries and 12 fifties in 72 innings. In the 2014-15 tour to Australia, where he also took over as a captain, Kohli amassed over 600 runs with four tons, including twin centuries in Adelaide.
This series was even more special as it followed a horrid Test series to England where he had managed to score just over 130 runs across 10 innings. That was a turning point in his Test career, after which he hit an all-time great prime.
From 2016 to 2019, Kohli had one of strongest batting primes ever for a Test cricketer, piling up 4,208 runs in 43 Tests at an average of 66.79, with 16 centuries and 10 fifties in 69 innings and best score of 254*. This also included seven double centuries, most by a captain in Test cricket history.
This included 100s across the oceans with India winning some of the most memorable Test matches overseas. In this period, Kohli also became the first player two smash four double tons in as many series.
He had answered most critiques with his dominating run in Test cricket and he was back in England, one place where he had failed terribly earlier. He answered all questions with one of his best knocks, scoring 149 runs at Edgbaston in Birmingham. He ended the series with over 500 runs and was awarded the Player of the Tournament.
Kohli also scored a century at Centurion in South Africa and a ton at Perth in Australia in the same series. He had a century in Australia, England and South Africa in the same year in 2018, cementing his place among the legends of the game.
However, the 2020s have not been great for the superstar batter, having made just 2,028 runs in 39 Tests at an underwhelming average of 30.72, with just three centuries and nine fifties to show in 69 innings. His numbers received a boost from a fine 2023, where he made 671 runs in eight Tests at an average of 55.91, with two centuries and two fifties in 12 innings.
He ended last year with just 382 runs in 10 Tests at a shocking average of 22.47, with just one century and fifty in 19 innings. His last Test outing was the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour to Australia from November-January, where he made just 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75, with his century at Perth being a highlight.
That century was his first since July 2023, when he hit a ton against West Indies at Port of Spain in 2023. Also, his last century at home came against Australia in early 2023 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Ahmedabad.
Virat Kohli: India's greatest Test leader
Virat Kohli took over as India's Test captain in 2014 when the team was ranked 8th in the rankings. In Kohli's very first match as the skipper, India played aggressive brand of cricket against Australia and went down by just 32 runs at Adelaide. Kohli himself had smashed two centuries in the match. That match sent a strong message of the brand of cricket India would go on to play for the next eight years.
Under Kohli, India won their first Test series in Sri Lanka after 22 years in 2016 and in West Indies after a long time. India also won a Test series in Australia for the first time in 2018-19 and drew a Test series in England 2-2 in 2021-22. He also led India to memorable wins in South Africa. Under Kohli, India also won 11 home Test series in a row at home.
With 40 wins in 68 matches, he remains India’s most successful Test captain. Only Steve Waugh (41), Ricky Ponting (48), and Graeme Smith (53) have registered more wins as Test captains.
Kohli is often credited for India's fitness and fast bowling revolution and for having created one of the most dominant Test teams with three Test maces in a row from 2017-2019. He also led India to the WTC final in 2021, where India lost to New Zealand.
Kohli's career has been about overcoming several setbacks and taking Indian cricket to new highs.
Be it smashing a peak Australian attack led by Mitchell Johnson for 692 runs including four centuries during Australia tour in 2014-15 and announcing himself as the new captain, guiding India to ICC World Test Championship maces, having a dream-like, redemption tour to England in 2018 worth 593 runs and five fifty plus scores after managing just 134 runs in 10 innings during his last time in UK or braving world-class bowling attacks in Centurion, Melbourne, Perth, Edgbaston and at his own home with some world-class knocks, the 36-year-old has given fans tonnes of memories to replay and cherish forever.
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