Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 12: In a stunning announcement that sent shockwaves through the cricketing world, Virat Kohli, one of India’s most iconic batters, declared his retirement from Test cricket on Monday morning. The revelation came shortly after he was spotted at the Mumbai airport with wife and actor Anushka Sharma.
In visuals captured by paparazzi, the couple was seen sharing a quiet conversation while also acknowledging the photographers with smiles and waves. Kohli sported a beige shirt and trousers, while Anushka looked effortlessly stylish in a striped pink-blue shirt paired with baggy jeans.
The retirement news was confirmed via Kohli’s Instagram account, where he penned an emotional note:
“It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket… I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for… I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile. #269, signing off.”
Kohli’s Test journey began in June 2011 against the West Indies. Over 123 matches, he amassed 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties, with a career-best of 254*.
The 36-year-old ranks as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in Tests, trailing only Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.
His initial years (2011–2015) saw him grow into the format with 2,994 runs, while the 2016–2019 period was his golden era. In those years, he scored 4,208 runs in 43 Tests at a staggering average of 66.79, including seven double tons — the most by any captain in Test history.
Though his form dipped in the 2020s, with just three centuries and an average of 30.72 across 39 Tests, Kohli enjoyed a resurgence in 2023, scoring 671 runs at 55.91, including two centuries.
His last century came during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth, where he also made his final appearance in Test whites.
Beyond the numbers, Kohli’s Test legacy includes memorable knocks against the world’s best bowling attacks, leadership during India’s rise to the top of the Test rankings, and his role in guiding the team to ICC World Test Championship finals. From fierce battles in Australia to redemption in England and dominance at home, Kohli redefined India’s red-ball cricket ethos.
His departure marks the end of a remarkable era in Indian cricket, but the memories he’s left behind will inspire generations to come.