The Indian star batter Virat Kohli, almost two months after his Test retirement, spoke on the matter for the first time on July 8, 2025, at an event. The event was organized by former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh to raise funds for the YouWeCan Foundation in London, in which many cricketers assembled all together, including players from the current Indian side. Using the example of his white beard, he stated that it was time for him to draw the curtains on his tremendous test career.
He said,
"I just colored my beard two days ago. You know it's time when you are coloring your beard every four days."
On May 12, Kohli took the help of his social media account, writing a lengthy post announcing that it's his time to take retirement from Test cricket, a format he has loved the most throughout his career.
He, on his social media account, wrote,
"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."
VIRAT KOHLI'S TEST CAREER
Virat Kohli has played a total of 123 Tests, scoring 9,320 runs at an average of 46.85 and a strike rate of 55.58, smashing 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries, which includes 7 double hundreds with a highest score of 254. The 7 double centuries made by him are the most by an Indian. In his test captaincy career, he became the first Indian captain to win a Test series in Australia in 2018-19.
It is to be noted that Virat announced his retirement after five days Rohit Sharma made the decision to step away from red-ball cricket. Since that time, both the players have stayed away from making any comments on cricketing terms. But Kohli ended his absence from social media recently when he congratulated new Indian Test captain Shubman Gill on his record-breaking 269-run knock against England in the Edgbaston Test.