Virat Kohli’s Test retirement: Twists and turns in speculations around the star batter’s decision

Virat Kohli's sudden Test retirement shocked the cricketing world. Speculations abound regarding his decision, with reports suggesting conflicts with management, a desire for more family time, and concerns about his form.

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No clarity on reason behind Virat Kohli's Test retirement decision

Team India star batter Virat Kohli stunned not only the Indian cricket fraternity but also the entire cricket community by announcing his Test retirement ahead of the England tour. Kohli calling it quits from red-ball cricket was already on cards after the veteran batter informed about his willingness to step away from the Test format, pulling the curtains down on his 14-year career.

Virat Kohli’s retirement from the longest format of the game came just a few days after Rohit Sharma decided to call time on his Test career following his sacking from the captaincy ahead of the five–match Test series against England. The retirements of two batting stalwarts are a big blow for Team India as the team faces a significant challenge of rebuilding a team before the beginning of the new World Test Championship, starting with the Test series against England.

However, the speculations over Virat Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket are sprawling with a lack of clarity, as several reports suggest different stories behind his call to step away from red-ball cricket.

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Why did Kohli quit Test cricket?

Before Virat Kohli announced his retirement from his illustrious Test career, the ace batter already informed the board about his willingness to quit red-ball cricket. The board reportedly urged Kohli to reconsider his decision, given the cruciality of the England Tour. But, the Indian batting great was firm on his stance and announced his Test retirement on Instagram. In his statement, the 36-year-old did not mention the reason behind call time on his red-ball career, but reflected his glorious journey in the format, while admitting it was tough but at the same time it was a right call.

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Wanted to retire after BGT

After struggling to maintain his consistency in the five-match Test series against Australia, Virat Kohli had already made up his mind to retire from Tests by informing his teammates that he was done. Though Kohli informed the BCCI about his desire to quit his Test career in May, the star batter had reportedly conveyed his Test retirement decision to the BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar in April, when he was playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025. The reports suggested that Virat Kohli wanted to spend more time with his family and this was the main reason behind his decision to step away from the longest format of the game. However, the board asked Kohli to avoid making ‘hasty decisions’ and give the matter some thought.

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Did BCCI convince Kohli to reconsider his Test retirement?

The reports suggested that the BCCI requested Virat Kohli to reconsider his Test retirement as Rohit Sharma recently retired from the format ahead of the England tour. However, Dainik Jagran claims complete opposite, stating that the BCCI did not request the ace batter to extend his stay in the Test format, but rather informed him that his place in the Test side does not warrant due to his poor form. Kohli’s last Test series was in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring just 190 runs, including a century, at an average of 23.75.

“The BCCI does not request anyone. A player's decision is his personal choice. We don't interfere in it," a source close to BCCI told Dainik Jagran.

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Lack of freedom under current management

Another twist behind Virat Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket was reportedly due to lack of freedom under the current Team India management led by head coach Gautam Gambhir. As per the reports, the star batter sought a fresh challenge and self-discovery to return to his original form, but he felt that he was not getting the freedom under the current management. The 36-year-old wanted to continue playing Test cricket, but the lack of freedom and environment he desired, compared to the previous environment in the dressing room, prompted him to call time on his Test career. The reports further suggested that Kohli wanted back Test captaincy to take the team through the transition phase, but the BCCI informed him that captaincy role would be given to younger players.

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Expressed his desire to play England series

Despite moderate series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he failed to maintain consistency after scoring a century in the Perth Test, Virat Kohli expressed his desire to play Test series against England, as revealed by Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh. Speaking on JioHotstar, Sarandeep revealed that Kohli was preparing for the England tour and wanted to score 3-4 centuries in the Test series on England soil.

"The way he started his preparation for the red ball, he was talking about how the Australia tour would have been, but he was preparing for the England tour, how we would win the Test match. But suddenly, now we see that the person who was ready to go to England will not be going to England. That announcement that has been made today, I think everyone is shocked," explained the Delhi coach.

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Didn’t Kohli receive support from BCCI?

The latest speculation around Virat Kohli’s Test retirement is that the ace batter did not receive enough support from the BCCI before calling it quits from red-ball cricket. Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif stated that the board might have cited Virat Kohli about his Test performances over the last five years while informing him that his place in the longest format of the game is no longer guaranteed.

“I think he wanted to continue in the format. There must have been some internal talks with the BCCI, the selectors may have cited his form in the past 5-6 years and told him his spot in the team may no longer be there.” Kaif said.

“We will never find out what happened, it is very difficult to guess what actually took place behind the scenes,” he added.