Reports: Virat Kohli informs BCCI regarding Test retirement ahead of England tour

Star batter and former India skipper Virat Kohli has reportedly informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of his intention to retire from Test cricket ahead of India’s five-match Test tour of England. With the tour scheduled to begin on June 20, Kohli's Test exit speculations have come to the forefront just days after his teammate Rohit Sharma also announced his retirement from the longest format.

According to an India Today report, Kohli conveyed his decision to the BCCI a few days ago about his future in red-ball cricket. A top BCCI official has reached out to him, urging the veteran batter to reconsider. The selection committee is set to meet soon to pick the squad for the tour and also plan for the new World Test Championship cycle. Kohli's decision comes as a shock to many.

With 123 Tests under his belt and 9,230 runs including 30 centuries, the 36-year-old has been a crucial member of India’s red-ball success over the past decade. His leadership and consistency with the bat evolved the Indian Test team’s image, particularly overseas. However, his recent form has been alarming concern.

The right-handed batter witnessed a poor run in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, managing just 190 runs across five Tests. While he started strong with a century in Perth, he failed in the remaining matches, exposing technical flaws against the moving ball, with eight of his ten dismissals being caught in the slips. Interestingly, Kohli had earlier hinted at retirement while speaking at the RCB Innovation Lab’s Indian Sports Summit.

“I might not have another Australia tour in me, so I am at peace with whatever happened in the past," he said.

The news of Kohli’s likely retirement follows after Rohit’s sudden Test exit. The Indian skipper ended his red-ball career after 67 Tests and 12 centuries. He had already sat out of the final Test in Australia due to poor returns. Both Kohli and Rohit had earlier stepped away from T20Is after leading India to a historic ICC T20 World Cup win in Barbados in 2024. Notably, if the Delhi-born sticks to his decision, India will head into the England series with a largely inexperienced batting core, putting significant responsibility on the shoulders of KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.