Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday through an emotional note on Instagram, reflecting on his legendary career, which included an impressive average of 46.05 across 123 matches.
For the past two weeks, Kohli had been hinting at his retirement, ultimately deciding to call it quits despite requests from BCCI officials to reconsider. It was reported that Kohli initially intended to announce his retirement on May 7 but postponed it due to Operation Sindoor, as the BCCI asked him to delay his announcement until after a ceasefire.
Kohli and Rohit Announce Retirements Back-to-Back
Following the ceasefire announcement, Virat Kohli confirmed his retirement, meaning that India will tour England without the services of both Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The last time these two played together in an England tour, India won the series 2-1 in 2021.
Kohli and Sharma’s illustrious careers faced a downturn in 2024, beginning with a disappointing home series against New Zealand, where India lost 0-3, followed by a loss in the Australia tour during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Since then, speculation about their retirement has grown, culminating in both legends announcing their retirement within a week of each other, much to the shock of fans.
Also Read: Virat Kohli informed Ajit Agarkar about wanting to retire from Tests in April: Report
After India's 1-3 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy held in Australia, the BCCI mandated restrictions on how many days family members could stay with the squad. Kohli was reportedly unhappy with this decision, and it was speculated that it was one of the reasons behind his retirement. When Kohli spoke out against the directive, Gautam Gambhir supported the rule, emphasizing the importance of maintaining focus during tours. Kohli remarked,
"The role of family is very difficult to explain to people. How grounding it is to just come back to your family every time you experience something intense on the outside."
However, Sunil Gavaskar, in an interview with India Today, told that Kohli and Sharma's retirement decisions were influenced by top BCCI officials in light of the upcoming World Test Championship Cycle for 2025-2027, starting with India's tour of England.
Dawn of New Era in Indian Cricket
Shubman Gill is expected to be named the new captain of the Indian Test team, with Rishabh Pant anticipated to be his deputy for the England tour. Players like Shreyas Iyer and Sai Sudharsan are being considered to replace Kohli and Sharma, with the squad announcement expected on May 24th, according to reports.
