Indian cricket is at a crossroads. Former skipper Virat Kohli has allegedly told the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he wants to retire from Test cricket ahead of the highly awaited tour of England, which commences on June 20. Kohli informed the BCCI about his decision a few days ago and is not expected to play in the five-match Test series, according to a report in the Indian Express.
This news arrives in the wake of captain Rohit Sharma’s abrupt Test retirement, compounding the vacuum of experience in India’s batting line-up. Although a senior BCCI official has urged Virat Kohli to reconsider, the star batter appears resolute. If Kohli follows through, India’s Test squad will be left in the hands of younger talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill.
Recent Form of Virat Kohli Adds to the Speculation
Virat Kohli’s move does not happen in isolation. His last few appearances in the 2024–25 season of Tests, particularly in Australia, have drawn criticism. Kohli could muster only 190 runs in five Tests. Despite scoring a century in the first Test at Perth, he could muster only 85 runs in the other four games. His vulnerability against the swinging ball was evident—eight of his ten dismissals were taken in the slip cordon.
Concerns over whether he could switch to confronting new red-ball issues gained strength. As Kohli spoke of his possible Australia tour farewell, claiming, “I might not have another Australia tour in me, so I am at peace with whatever happened in the past,” he did not go as far as declaring an out-and-out Test retirement.
However, former wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta defended Kohli’s performance, attributing it to a “perfect storm” of factors. “People are talking about 8 out of 10 dismissals. Among those, there were four or five deliveries that were genuinely very good—you have to give credit to the bowlers,” Dasgupta said, suggesting that only a few dismissals were avoidable.
IPL Form of Virat Kohli and Selection Conundrum
Interestingly, Kohli exhibited a hint of his signature consistency in IPL 2025, scoring 505 runs in 11 matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore before the tournament was halted. This difference in performance between formats makes the story around his retirement more complex.
With BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia confirming that the Test squad will be selected before the last week of May, Kohli’s final decision will weigh heavily on the selection committee’s strategy as India kicks off a new World Test Championship cycle.
The Road Ahead for Indian Test Cricket
India’s Test team, so long characterized by the twin pillars of Kohli and Rohit, is entering a new era. Their concurrent departure would represent not only the end of an era but a drastic shift in leadership and temperament as well. The onus will now lie on a relatively young but promising group of players to ensure India’s continued supremacy in red-ball cricket.
Whether Kohli finally changes his mind about retirement is unclear. But the mere prospect is a turning point in Indian cricket, one that requires self-reflection and courageous forward planning.
