The end of the Age of Kohli

The former captain, now retired from Tests, didn't just lead, rack up the runs, and win. He altered the DNA of the Indian team

- Rudraneil Sengupta

Virat Kohli's retirement from Tests, which he announced this week, was sudden, but not really a surprise. The 36-year-old had been struggling in his favoured whites for some years and, given his commitment to ironing out flaws, he must have reached the inevitable conclusion that his dip in form was not, in fact, a dip but a permanent loss.

He previously announced his retirement from T20 Internationals after lifting the 2024 T20 World Cup, and even though he has not officially quit One-Day Internationals, given the minimal importance accorded to the format, it seems likely that we will never see Kohli represent India again.

Inarguably, he walks away a legend of the game, a man who has won everything and done all there is to be done in cricket.