Virat Kohli Likely to Retire from Tests, BCCI Urges Reconsideration

As per The Indian Express, Kohli, after long reflection, has expressed his wish to end his red-ball journey and shift focus away from the longest format of the game.

The BCCI, however, is urging the seasoned player to rethink his decision, especially with the crucial England tour looming in June.

Kohli has apparently been weighing this move since the Border-Gavaskar series in December 2024, where he couldn’t recapture his classic touch—barring a lone century in the first Test.

In that series, he managed just 190 runs across five matches, with the century being his only notable contribution.

Over the past five years, Kohli’s Test stats have dipped. He’s scored only 1,990 runs in 37 matches, with just three centuries in that period—a significant decline from his earlier dominance.

Earlier this year, during an RCB event, Kohli spoke openly about the mental toll of battling poor form, saying it leads to self-doubt and desperation to perform in limited time.

Despite recent struggles, Kohli’s overall Test career remains stellar—123 matches, 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85.

His potential retirement follows Rohit Sharma’s recent announcement to step away from Test cricket, bringing an era to a close.

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