**EDS: FILE IMAGE** Bengaluru: In this file image cricketer Virat Kohli reacts during the test cricket match between India and New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru. Kohli on Monday announced his retirement from Test cricket, ending a spectacular run in the format which celebrated him as its saviour at a time when T20 cricket took centre-stage globally. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak) Former India cricketer Navjot Sidhu has put down a heartfelt note for Virat Kohli after he announced his Test retirement on Monday. “The Greatest Indian Cricketer of all times bids adieu to Test cricket,” Sidhu wrote on X.“Thank you Virat Kohli for being a cup of joy to world cricket. “Kahaan parre ho chakker mein koi nahin hai takker mein (No one can compete with him, why to worry about it).”Virat Kohli took to social media on Monday to reveal the news.“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,” the post read.“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.#269, signing off.“🇮🇳❤️”Kohli scored 9,230 runs including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries at a test batting average of 46.85. He also led India in 68 test matches and was India’s most successful captain with 40 test wins.
**EDS: FILE IMAGE** Bengaluru: In this file image cricketer Virat Kohli reacts during the test cricket match between India and New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru. Kohli on Monday announced his retirement from Test cricket, ending a spectacular run in the format which celebrated him as its saviour at a time when T20 cricket took centre-stage globally. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)
Virat Kohli drops retirement bombshell | Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket
After averaging close to 55 at his peak between 2011 and 2019, the figure dropped to 32.56 over the past 24 months.Kohli’s last Test was in Sydney in January when India lost the match and with it the series 3-1 to Australia.Apart from an unbeaten century in the second innings of the first Test in Perth, Kohli managed just 90 runs from eight innings in the five-Test series.
