Virat Kohli, the former India captain, has announced his retirement from Test cricket with just a little over a month to go before the England tour, reports Hindustan Times.
Kohli, 36, made the decision days after fellow Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma bid adieu to the format.
The news that Kohli informed the BCCI about his decision to retire from Test cricket sent shockwaves early morning on Saturday.
He still isn't as aged as some of the legends to have continued playing before him and has yet to breach the 10,000-run mark. Still, Kohli felt it was the right time to walk away from the format, having scored 9230 runs from 23 Tests at an average of 46.8 and ending as India's fourth-highest run-scorer in Tests behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921), Rahul Dravid (13265) and Sunil Gavaskar (10122).
"It's been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It's tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I'll carry for life. There's something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever," Kohli announced on social media on Monday.
"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."
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