Virat Kohli Plans Test Cricket Retirement Before England Tour; BCCI Urges Change of Heart
Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket earlier this week shook Indian cricket, but now it seems that Virat Kohli might be following suit. The possibility of both cricketing giants stepping away within days of each other has sparked serious concern within the BCCI. For Kohli, this decision hits particularly hard, given that he has long been one of Test cricket’s most passionate advocates and has regularly spoken out about preserving the format.
According to a report from The Indian Express, Kohli has informed the BCCI that he plans to retire from Test cricket. However, senior officials from the board have urged him to reconsider, especially with the crucial England tour coming up. “He has made up his mind and told the board he’s ready to move on from Test cricket. The BCCI has asked him to rethink, but he hasn’t yet responded,” sources said.
The selectors are set to meet soon to finalize the squad for the five-match series in England next month. If Kohli follows through with his decision, India’s batting lineup could lose a lot of experience. Without him and Rohit — who between them have led India’s Test team for nearly 11 years — the team will be left with fewer veteran players, especially in the top order. Kohli became Test captain in December 2014, and Rohit took over the role in 2022.Kohli's recent form in Test cricket has certainly raised a few eyebrows. While his career stats are still impressive — 9,230 runs from 123 Tests at an average of 46.85 — his performances over the past five years have been less consistent. In that period, he’s managed just 1,990 runs from 37 Tests, with only three centuries to his name. His struggles were particularly evident during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, where he started well in the first Test but failed to push on, ending the series with a disappointing average of 23.75.
However, Kohli has enjoyed some of his best moments in England. His first tour there in 2014 was tough, as he struggled against deliveries outside the off-stump, but he bounced back brilliantly in 2018. That tour saw him rack up 593 runs in five matches, including two centuries. Kohli’s individual performance and leadership were key highlights. In 2021, while India lost the series 4-1. Under Kohli’s captaincy, India took a 2-1 lead before the final Test was delayed due to COVID-19. Kohli’s leadership was still a shining example of his strength in the format, however, the series ended in a 2-2 draw.
More recently, Kohli hinted that his days in Test cricket might be numbered. Ahead of IPL 2025, he opened up about his struggles during the Australia tour, revealing how the weight of expectations had begun to affect him. “Once you start taking on the energy and the disappointment from the outside, you start burdening yourself more,” he said. “That’s when you start getting desperate to make an impact, and that’s something I’ve felt in Australia as well.”
Despite his Test struggles, Kohli has been in fantastic form in the IPL. He’s scored 505 runs in 11 matches at an impressive strike rate of 143.46, currently sitting fourth on the list of top run-scorers for IPL 2025. He’s just five runs behind the leader, Suryakumar Yadav, and continues to show that he still has plenty of gas in the tank.
Although Kohli retired from T20 internationals after India’s 2024 World Cup win in the West Indies, his IPL form suggests he’s far from finished. The big question now is whether he’ll keep pushing in Test cricket or decide it’s time to call it a day. Whatever happens, it’s clear that Kohli’s decision, like Rohit’s, will mark the end of an era for Indian cricket.
