It is indeed the end of an era! After Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli has announced his decision to retire from Test cricket, bringing an end to his 14-year long career. The former Indian captain had reportedly conveyed to the BCCI about his decision to call it a day in the longest format of the game. He was even asked to reconsider his decision but it looks like he has made up his mind.
No more Kohli in Tests
Taking to social media platform, Kohli penned a note announcing his decision to step away from Tests. His decision comes just ahead of the India vs England Test series, which also marks the start of the new World Test Championship (WTC) campaign. India will now be without the services of two of their most-experienced players – Rohit and Kohli.
Virat made his Test debut in 2011 against West Indies at Kingston. He is the fourth highest run-getter for India in the longest format of the game, with 9230 runs from 123 matches, and averages 46.85. Kohli needed just under 800 more runs to overtake the legendary Sunil Gavaskar and become the third leading run-scorer for India.
| Mat | Inns | Runs | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 123 | 210 | 9230 | 254* | 46.85 | 55.57 | 30 | 31 |
Virat captaincy record in Test
The former Indian captain has led in 68 Test matches and has an excellent record. Virat has the best win percentage amongst captains who have played 10 matches. He has won 40 Test matches and lost 17.
| Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No Result | Win% |
| 68 | 40 | 17 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 70.17 |
As per The Indian Express report, Kohli had been contemplating his future in Test cricket since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The veteran batter had a rather miserable series, managing to score just 190 runs in 9 innings, averaging 23.75. His problem with playing outside the off deliveries led to him being dismissed in that fashion 8 out of 9 times.
The post “Walking away…”: Virat Kohli officially confirms retirement from Tests appeared first on Inside Sport India.