Indian cricket team star batter Virat Kohli left the cricketing world stunned as he announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday. Kohli, who is considered to be one of the best batters in modern cricket, took to social media to announce that he will be retiring from the longest format of the sport with immediate effect. Reports have been making the rounds regarding Virat communicating his decision to BCCI but he was asked to reconsider his stance. However, just days after Rohit Sharma announcing his retirement, Kohli also did the same with India facing England in a five-match Test series in June. (Virat Kohli Test Retirement Live Updates)

The timing of Kohli’s announcement was quite interesting as it came just days after Rohit’s decision and before the selectors held serious discussions about the squad for the England Test series.

A major reason behind Kohli announcing his retirement right now can be to provide the selectors with enough time to decide on the squad for England. Without Rohit and Kohli in the mix, India have a rather young top-order but there are quite a few names who have staked their claim to the positions.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have long been considered to be the future of the Indian batting line-up with Shreyas Iyer and Sai Sudarshan also in the mix. The absence of Virat can also open the door for an experienced campaigner like Cheteshwar Pujara to offer some stability to the No. 3 position.

Another big factor behind Virat’s retirement can be the struggles he faced during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in 2024. Virat had a forgettable campaign with 190 runs in 5 matches – a statistic that becomes infinitely worse when one considers that it includes a century. Kohli’s struggles with deliveries outside the off-stump became a staple – both among experts as well as fans.

With England being the next assignment and also the start of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, Kohli can be looking to move away and concentrate completely on ODI cricket.

Virat retired from Test cricket with 9230 runs in 123 matches at an impressive average of 46.85 with 30 centuries and 51 half-centuries. He also ended up being the fourth-most successful Test captain overall, behind Graeme Smith (53 wins), Ricky Ponting (48 wins), and Steve Waugh (41 wins). 

It is an enviable record for any cricketer but there is one achievement he still yearns for. In the recent past, the star batter has spoken a number of times about winning the ODI World Cup in 2027. The 2023 campaign was a huge heartbreak as India came agonisingly close before losing in the final.

Kohli was a standout performer for the side that won all of its match before losing to Australia in the summit clash. As a result, it is possible that Kohli deemed it right to let go of the Test career and put his complete concentration to keeping himself fit and in form for the next ODI World Cup campaign.