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On May 12, a 36-year-old Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket. Kohli wrote an emotional post on his Instagram about the lessons his favourite format taught him. Kohli said that he gave his everything to the game before drawing curtains on his Test career. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) reacted to Kohli's retirement with a heartbroken emoji on their social media handles.
"Thank You, Virat. #269 (King's crown emoji)," RCB wrote on their social media. "Test Cricket will never be the same again!"
RCB also shared a gif featuring popular sitcom show FRIENDS' character Chandler Bing (played by Matthew Perry) sitting near a window watching the rain.
Kohli announced his retirement from the format days after Rohit Sharma called it quits. He retired as India's fourth-highest run-scorer in Tests after Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), Rahul Dravid (13,265 runs), Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 runs). He retires with 9,230 runs from 123 Tests including 30 centuries.
"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," Kohli wrote on social media.
"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 will be back in action in white-ball cricket when IPL 2025 resumes. RCB are expected go up against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow later this week.
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