Virat Kohli has expressed his intention to retire from Test cricket to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ahead of India’s five-match series in England, set to begin on June 20, 2025. Kohli has reportedly been in talks with BCCI officials for the past month regarding his retirement, and if he decides to go through with it, he will conclude a remarkable career that has spanned 14 years, with 123 Tests, including 68 as captain.
Kohli has accumulated 9230 runs in Test cricket at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. However, his form in the format has dipped recently. His last Test century was in July 2023 against the West Indies, and despite his brilliant 100 not out in Perth in November 2024, his average has dropped to 32.56 over the past two years, a stark contrast to his peak of 55.10.
Despite these recent struggles, team management and selectors are keen on Kohli’s experience, especially as India heads to England under a new captain. Shubman Gill is the frontrunner to take over from Rohit Sharma, who announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier this week. Kohli, alongside Rohit, was retained in the A+ category of the BCCI’s player contracts, a tier generally reserved for players who compete in all three formats. Should Kohli retire from Test cricket, he would remain available for ODIs.
India will also be missing key players, including R Ashwin, who retired during the 2024-25 series in Australia. With Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane not part of the current team, Kohli’s leadership and experience could prove invaluable during the upcoming tour.
Kohli is regarded as India’s most successful Test captain, with 40 wins from 68 matches. His remarkable leadership record places him fourth on the all-time list of captains with the most Test wins, behind Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Steve Waugh. Kohli’s standout performance came during India’s 2018 tour of England, where he was the highest run-scorer across both teams, accumulating 583 runs at an average of 59.30, including two centuries.
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