New Delhi: Former Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday through social media posts, which ended a 14 -year career in the format. The 36 -year -old cricketer, who made his Test debut in 2011, played 123 matches for India, scoring 9,230 runs with 30 centuries.Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir, who has played with Kohli for Delhi and the national team, shared a message on social media, accepting Kohli’s retirement.“A man with a lion’s passion! You will remember you cheek …”, Gambhir wrote.Kohli announced on his Instagram page, addressing speculation about his future in the intensified format after a recent tour.Kohli said, “I am going away with a heart -filled heart – for the game, for the game with whom I shared the field, and for every person who saw me on the way,” Kohli said.He said, “It has been 14 years when I first wore Bagi Blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never thought that this format would take me. He tested me, gave me shape, and taught me a lesson that I will take for life,” he said.
During his tenure, Kohli took India to number one place in the test rankings and won a historic series in Australia during 2018-19.Kohli will continue to play a one -day international, who will enhance the T20 internationals last year after contributing to India’s T20 World Cup win in Caribbean.His final test series in Australia was relatively under control, with only one century. He reduced his career with a 10,000 -run milestone, which was once obtained.Kohli expressed in his farewell message, “Something deep about playing in whites. Quiet pieces, long days, short moments that no one sees, but he stays with you forever.”
“As I am far from this format, it’s not easy – but it seems right. I have given it everything that I had, and it is very much given to me as much as I could expect. I will always look at my test career with a smile,” he concluded.Kohli’s test career figures include the most for an Indian player in seven dual centuries, crossing cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Virnder Sehwag and Rahul Dravid.His influence on Test cricket was important during the time when the T20 league dominated the game, which helped to maintain fan interest in the traditional format. Cricket veteran Sir Viv Richards, with whom Kohli was often compared to his aggressive style, accepted this contribution.
