India great Kohli retires from Test cricket

Champion Indian batter Virat Kohli has announced his immediate retirement from Test cricket ahead of India's five-Test tour of England later this month.

Kohli, the nation's fourth highest Test run-scorer of all-time, called time on a 14-year career via Instagram on Monday, joining captain Rohit Sharma as the second Indian player to announce their retirement from the longest format in the past week.

The 36-year-old made no mention of his one-day international future having retired from T20 internationals following last year's T20 World Cup triumph. Rohit confirmed in his own Instagram announcement he would be playing on in the 50-over format and both he and Kohli could be back in Australia in October with the two sides to face off in a three-match series.

"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," Kohli said.

"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.

"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. I'll always look back at my Test career with a smile."

Kohli's last Test was India's defeat to Australia at the SCG in January as they surrendered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy they had held for almost a decade when he led them to a 2-1 home triumph as captain.

The right-hander broke a 16-month Test century drought in the first Test of last summer, with his 100 not out alongside young gun Yashasvi Jaiswal's 161 lifting India to their only win of the series.

He made his Test debut as a 22-year-old against the West Indies in Jamaica, making his mark with twin half-centuries against the same opponents in his fourth Test in Mumbai later that year.

His first Test century came two months later during his first tour of Australia where his 116 in the first innings in Adelaide was the only hundred for an Indian batting line-up featuring Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag in a series which they were smashed 4-0.

But it was the subsequent Test tour of Australia in 2014-15 where he truly cemented his greatness, hitting twin tons in the series opener in Adelaide, followed by big hundreds in both the Boxing Day and New Year's Tests to average 86.50 for the series.

In all, Kohli scored seven Test centuries in Australia – his most outside of India and the most by a touring batter in almost 90 years, after England's Jack Hobbs (9) and Wally Hammond (7).

His Test career will also be remembered fondly for his spell as captain between 2014 and 2022, winning 40 of his 68 Tests in charge to become the country's most successful skipper in the format and fourth of all-time in terms of victories behind South African Graeme Smith (53) and Australians Ricky Ponting (48) and Steve Waugh (41).

Kohli finishes his Test career with 9230 runs at 46.85 from 123 Tests, behind only legendary batters Tendulkar (15,921), Dravid (13,265) and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122) for India in the format.