King Kohli Announces Test Retirement

Ex-India skipper says his time in whites has come to an end. He will only play in ODIs, having already retired from T20I cricket

- Press Trust of India

NEW DELHI: India's most successful Test captain and the fulcrum of its batting for over a decade, Virat Kohli announced his retirement from the format on Monday, ending his passionate love affair with the five-day game which celebrated him as its saviour during a global T20 surge.

The 36-year-old Kohli, who admitted that it wasn't an easy call to make, turned up in 123 Tests for India, scoring 9,230 runs with 30 hundreds and 31 half-centuries at an average of 46.85.

He will now only be seen in ODIs, having already retired from T20 Internationals last year after having played a significant role in India's T20 World Cup win in the Caribbean.

"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," Kohli announced on his Instagram page, putting an end to incessant speculation about his future in the format that peaked after the tour of Australia earlier this year.

Since making his debut in 2011 as the nation's Test cap number 269, Kohli captained India to the world number one position in the format and fetched a historic series triumph in Australia in 2018-19.

Under his leadership, India won 40 of 68 Tests, making him the most successful for his country and fourth most successful overall, behind South African Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh. He also logged 20 hundreds as captain, making it the highest by an Indian in that position.

"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," Kohli added.

The megastar's last Test assignment was a largely underwhelming tour of Australia in which he managed just one hundred. He ends his career well short of the 10,000-run mark, which was, at one stage, considered a formality.