Virat Kohli Hinted At Test Retirement During BGT Series In Australia: Report

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Virat Kohli's Test future has come under the spotlight once again, with fresh reports indicating that the Indian batting stalwart had dropped multiple hints about retiring from the longest format of the game during the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

According to The Times of India, while Kohli had voiced his thoughts during the series, many within the team believed it was merely frustration speaking, given the tense atmosphere at the time.

Kohli is said to have initiated serious conversations with BCCI officials regarding stepping away from Test cricket as early as April. The decision seems to have been brewing for a while, especially after a forgettable tour of Australia where Kohli scored just 190 runs across nine innings. Notably, more than half of those runs came in a single innings, when he struck a century at Perth.

His recent form has been underwhelming by his own high standards. Once averaging over 55 - peaking after his unbeaten 254 against South Africa in 2019 - Kohli has averaged just 32.56 in the format over the last couple of years. His ton in Perth was also his first Test hundred since July 2023.

Although the attention briefly shifted following India's triumphant Champions Trophy campaign, the uncertainty over Kohli's red-ball career remained. Team management, according to reports, had hoped his experience would be crucial for the upcoming tour of England - a venue where he enjoyed a golden run in 2018, topping the scoring charts with 583 runs at an average of 59.3 in five Tests.

Despite this, the report states, "Well before the discussions for the England Test tour got underway, Kohli reached out to BCCI and said that he wanted to retire from Tests." His announcement reportedly took many by surprise, especially since he was still part of the team's plans for the England series.

Should Kohli choose to walk away from Tests, he would bring the curtains down on a remarkable career spanning 123 matches, including 68 as captain - a period in which he reshaped India's approach to Test cricket with aggression and resilience.

Whether or not he reconsiders remains to be seen, but if this is indeed the end of Kohli's red-ball journey, it marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in Indian cricket.