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Why did Virat Kohli retire from Tests and what does 269 mean?
May 12, 2025
Batting star Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Tests, ending the career of the most important Indian player of his generation.
After 14 years playing Test matches, Virat Kohli is retiring from the national team as one of the immortals of Indian 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 Monday in his Test retirement social media post.
“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,” he added.
Here is all to know about the retirement of India’s hugely impactful batter and captain:
Why is Virat Kohli retiring from Tests?
Kohli’s declining form in the five-day format of cricket may have prompted his decision to call it a day.
After averaging close to 55 at his peak between 2011 and 2019, he could muster a batting average of just 32.56 over the past 24 months.
Kohli’s last Test was in Sydney in January when India lost the match, and with it the series 3-1, to Australia.
Apart from an unbeaten century in the second innings of the first Test in Perth, Kohli managed just 90 runs from eight innings in the five-Test series.
Kohli has previously cited mental fatigue and injuries as other reasons to consider retirement.
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