Virat Kohli informs BCCI decision to retire from Test cricket

Virat Kohli reportedly wants to retire from Test cricket as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors get ready to pick the Indian Test squad for the England tour. Kohli, 36, has told the selectors that he wants to move on from Test cricket. However, selectors have asked him to reconsider his decision.

According to a report in the Indian Express, the former captain is yet to respond to the request to reconsider his retirement decision.

“He has made up his mind and has informed the board that he is moving on from Test cricket. The BCCI has urged him to rethink as the crucial England tour is coming up. He is yet to revert on the request,” sources told the Indian Express.

If Kohli sticks to his decision, he will retire before the five-match Test series in England, which starts on 20 June. The squad for the Test series is expected to be declared in the next few days.

Kohli’s retirement will be a big blow for the Indian cricket team, because former captain Rohit Sharma retired from test cricket only a few days back. And in such a case, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel will have to select replacements for two veteran batters.

Virat Kohli has scored 9,230 runs in 123 Test matches. He has 30 hundreds and 31 fifties to his name at an average of 46.85. His debut came almost 14 years ago on 29 June against the West Indies at Kingston.

Had Kohli not decided to retire, he could also have been a captaincy option for the England tour, as Rohit has retired. However, the reports are indicating that Shubman Gill is the favorite to take over the Test captaincy and Jasprit Bumrah is also an option.

Bumrah, however, may lose out in the captaincy race due to his workload issues and Gill probably is still trying to settle into Test cricket. In such a scenario, Kohli can be the perfect stop-gap solution as India’s Test captain, but everything will now depend on his willingness to continue playing in the longer format.

Even if he doesn’t captain the team, his record in England as a batter and his leadership would be hugely beneficial, more so in a time when Rohit has decided to hang up his boots in Test cricket.

Kohli had also retired from T20Is after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies. And it seems just like Rohit, he will also be targeting the 2027 ODI World Cup.