New Delhi: Former Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has notified the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of his plan to retire from Test cricket prior to the upcoming tour of England, set to commence on June 20, as reported by sources to India Today. Kohli conveyed his decision to the BCCI a few days ago and is expected to be unavailable for the five-match Test series in England.
Nevertheless, a senior official from the BCCI has reached out to Kohli, encouraging him to reconsider his choice. This announcement follows closely on the heels of captain Rohit Sharma’s immediate retirement from Test cricket. Both Kohli and Rohit had previously stepped back from T20 internationals after India’s World Cup victory in Barbados last year.
This pivotal development arises just before the selection committee convenes to finalize the squad for the Test series in England, which will also initiate a new World Test Championship cycle for India. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had previously informed India Today that the squad for the Test tour would be determined before the final week of May.
Should Kohli proceed with his retirement before the England tour, the Indian Test team will face a significant loss of experience in its batting lineup, relying instead on players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill to perform effectively.
Kohli experienced a challenging 2024-25 Test season, struggling for consistency during the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series in Australia, where he accumulated only 190 runs across five Tests. Despite scoring a century in the first Test of the series in Perth, he could only manage 85 runs in the subsequent four matches. This tour of Australia proved to be difficult for Kohli, who had previously excelled in batting during his visits Down Under.
Kohli has played 123 Tests and scored 9,230 runs, including 30 centuries.
POOR AUSTRALIA TOUR
Kohli’s performance declined during the tour in Australia, revealing his ongoing struggle with the moving ball. Out of his ten dismissals, eight were caught in the slips after being edged. This raised concerns about his future in Test cricket, as his failure to address this persistent issue became a significant topic of discussion.
Kohli suggested that the 2025 tour could be his final visit to Australia, expressing a desire to travel more post-retirement, although he admitted uncertainty about his plans after cricket. ‘I may not have another tour to Australia left in me, so I have come to terms with my past experiences,’ Kohli stated at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit. Rohit Sharma also had a disappointing series, managing only 31 runs across three matches and missing the final Test due to his poor form.
Former Indian wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta downplayed worries regarding Kohli’s performance, attributing it to a ‘perfect storm’ in Australia. ‘While eight out of ten dismissals are being discussed, several deliveries were genuinely exceptional, deserving credit to the bowlers. There were a few instances where he could have left the ball alone, but overall, it was a challenging situation for Virat Kohli,’ Dasgupta remarked. Kohli had shown good form in the now-suspended IPL 2025, amassing 505 runs in 11 matches for RCB.
