Indian batting great Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test, bringing the curtain down on a storied red-ball career spanning 14 years, 123 matches, and 9,230 runs.
Kohli made the announcement via social media on Monday.
“I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for. I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile. #269, signing off,” wrote.
The decision follows closely on the heels of Rohit Sharma’s unexpected retirement from Tests last week.
Kohli’s exit marks the end of an era for Indian cricket, where the two had formed the batting backbone of the team for over a decade.
Debuting against the West Indies in 2011, Kohli rose to prominence during the 2011-12 Australia tour, scoring his maiden Test hundred in Adelaide.
He went on to become India’s most successful Test captain, winning 40 out of 68 matches.
With 30 Test centuries and seven double hundreds, Kohli finishes as India’s fourth-highest century-maker in Tests, behind legends Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.
Kohli had already stepped away from T20Is last year after India’s World Cup triumph and last played ODIs in this year’s ICC Champions Trophy.//