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The Board of Control for Cricket in India and International Cricket Council shared heartfelt reflections on Virat Kohli’s Test retirement, with BCCI on Kohli’s Retirement marking the close of a stellar 14-year journey. Kohli announced his Test exit on Monday, ending an era where he dazzled across conditions and rivals as a batsman and captain. The BCCI, via their official X handle, posted, “Thank You, Virat Kohli! An era ends in Test cricket, but the legacy will live on!
@imVkohli, former Team India Captain, retires from Tests. His impact on #TeamIndia will always be treasured!” This BCCI’s Heartfelt Tribute celebrates Kohli’s Test Legacy, etched forever in cricket’s history.
The International Cricket Council joined BCCI on Kohli’s Retirement, celebrating Virat Kohli’s Test exit with a poignant X post: “Whites off, crown intact. Virat Kohli bids goodbye to Test cricket, leaving behind an unmatched legacy.” This ICC’s Kohli Tribute encapsulates his towering influence, honoring his remarkable 14-year journey in the longest format.
Kohli’s Instagram Announcement
Kohli’s Announcement on Instagram Kohli previously shared his decision to retire from Test cricket on Instagram, giving BCCI a very intimate look into his retirement. “It has been fourteen years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket,” he wrote in his post. To be honest, I had no idea the path this format would lead me down. It has put me to the test, molded me, and given me lifelong lessons. Playing in whites has a very personal touch.
Reflecting Kohli’s emotional farewell and solidifying his legacy in Test cricket, the statement reads, “The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever.”
“As I step away from this format, it’s not easy — but it feels right. I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for. I’m walking away with a heart full of gratitude — for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way. I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile. #269, signing off,”
they added in post.
The 36-year-old made 123 appearances in white clothes during his Test career, amassing 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 hundreds and 31 fifties in 210 innings, with the highest score of 254*. After Rahul Dravid (13,265 runs), Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 runs), and Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), he is India’s fourth-highest run scorer in the format.
Kohli’s Early Test Journey
As commemorated by the BCCI on Kohli’s Retirement, Virat Kohli’s June 2011 debut against the West Indies was a rough one, scoring just 76 runs in five innings. However, the young batter quickly made a name for himself with audacious, counterattacking innings. A pivotal moment in Kohli’s Test Breakthrough occurred in 2012 when he scored his first Test century, 116 off 213 balls, against Australia in Adelaide. Despite India’s tour struggles, Kohli excelled, scoring 300 runs in four Test matches with a century and fifty. This was on a tour where India’s greats, including Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, and Virender Sehwag, struggled and no teammate reached 300 runs.
From 2011 to 2015, he piled up 2,994 runs in 41 Tests at an average of 44.03, smashing 11 centuries and 12 fifties in 72 innings, a testament to his grit, as echoed by BCCI on Kohli’s Retirement.Human
