Virat Kohli Retires from Test Cricket

Virat Kohli Retires from Test Cricket : 14 Glorious Years, 9230 Runs, 1 Iconic Legacy

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MHDTV Sports Desk | May 12, 2025

It’s the kind of news that hits you harder than a fast bouncer — Virat Kohli, the heartbeat of Indian Test cricket for over a decade, has decided to hang up his whites. With just over a month to go before India’s Test tour of England, Kohli, 36, has called time on a career that redefined the way India approached the game’s oldest format.

It’s not just another retirement. It’s the end of a generation. A player who gave everything — his sweat, his emotion, his fire — to the red-ball game, has stepped away.

“It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket,” Kohli wrote in a heartfelt post. “I’ve given it everything, and it’s given me back more than I could have dreamed of.”

A Career That Spoke Volumes Without Needing Words

Let the numbers speak for a moment. 113 Tests. 9230 runs. 29 centuries. An average of 46.8. Fourth on the list of India’s all-time Test run-scorers. These are not just stats — they are chapters of modern Indian cricket written in Kohli’s own hand.

From his very first century in Adelaide to his gritty farewell knock against Australia earlier this year, Kohli’s love for Test cricket was obvious. You could see it in his aggression, in his celebrations, in how he charged into every game like it was his last.

But it wasn’t just about runs. Kohli led India in 68 Tests and won 40 of them — more than any other Indian captain. Under his leadership, India didn’t just compete abroad — they won. That unforgettable 2-1 series win in Australia in 2018-19? That was Kohli’s India. That was a new India.

He Made Test Cricket Cool Again

Before Kohli took over, Indian cricket was still finding its post-Tendulkar identity in Tests. But when he slipped into that captain’s armband, everything changed. He built a fast-bowling unit that could hunt in packs. He backed fitness, aggression, and self-belief. He made it cool for young cricketers to want to play five-day cricket.

His passion was infectious. Whether it was the middle of a grind in Ranchi or a tense hour in Lord’s, Kohli brought a kind of drama and intensity that made you feel like every ball mattered. And it did — to him, and to the millions who watched.

From Boy to Beast

There was a time, back in 2014, when people questioned whether Kohli could survive the rigors of Test cricket. That England tour — just 134 runs in five Tests — was brutal. But what followed was one of the most remarkable turnarounds in modern cricket.

He went to Australia, stared the Aussies in the eye, and owned them — scoring 692 runs in just four Tests. That was the beginning of Virat Kohli, the legend.

Between 2015 and 2019, he was untouchable. 1215 runs in 2016, a mammoth 235 against England, and redemption in England in 2018 with 593 runs — including two magical hundreds. He didn’t just rise; he soared.

The Slump and the Silence

But even legends stumble. After his pink-ball hundred in 2019, the runs began to dry up. The centuries stopped. The magic faded. Critics questioned. Fans waited.

For nearly three years, Kohli didn’t score a single Test century. He stepped down as captain. The fire seemed dimmer. But even in the silence, there was grace. And when he did score that hundred against Australia, it felt like the final piece in a story that had to be told — fully.

What Now for King Kohli?

With Test and T20I cricket now behind him, Virat Kohli’s focus will shift entirely to ODIs, and most importantly, the 2027 World Cup in South Africa — a trophy he dearly wants to lift. If there’s one thing the cricketing world knows, it’s never to count Kohli out.

He’s still a giant in the format. He still commands fear in bowling attacks. And in blue, he still bleeds fire.

The End, But Not Goodbye

For those who watched Kohli bat in whites, it was never just about the runs. It was about the aura. The roar after a century. The stare-down with fast bowlers. The relentless hunger to win. He was a showman, a soldier, and a purist — all wrapped in one.

As we say goodbye to Virat Kohli the Test cricketer, we don’t just lose a batter. We lose an era. But his story doesn’t end here. It merely turns a page.

So, thank you, Virat. For the Adelaide debut. For the fight in Johannesburg. For the fire in Perth. For every moment you made us believe that nothing was impossible.

Cricket will move on. But there will never be another like you.

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