3 Indian cricketers who retired before Virat Kohli's current age ft. Ravi Shastri

Virat Kohli has retired from Test cricket at the age of 36. The announcement has come as a surprise for many fans because of Kohli's fitness levels and passion for the Test format.

Kohli brought about a revolution in Indian Test cricket with his excellent captaincy and batting performances. During his time as India's Test captain, it was rare to see the Indian team lose any series. India's record in SENA countries improved under Virat, and the team also built an unbeaten streak in home Test matches.

Quite a few members of the cricket universe expected Virat Kohli to have a memorable farewell in Test format, but he has decided to announce his retirement four months after his last Test appearance for India against Australia.

Virat's decision to retire from Tests at the age of 36 has surprised fans, but here's a list of three popular Indian cricketers who retired before Virat's current age.

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#1 Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri with Virat Kohli

Prior to coaching the Indian team, Shastri made a name for himself as a commentator, and before that, he played cricket for India. Shastri was a member of the Indian squad that won the 1983 World Cup in England.

Not many fans would know that the Indian legend retired from cricket at the age of 30. He played his last match back in December 1992 against South Africa. A knee injury compelled Shastri to take a break from international cricket, and post that, he decided to hang up his boots.

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#2 Varun Aaron

Former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron was a part of the Test squad when Virat took over as India's full-time captain. Aaron's pace made him one of the best fast bowlers in the country during his prime.

However, injuries derailed Aaron's career, and they never allowed him to have a lengthy stay in the Indian team. The express fast bowler continued to toil hard in domestic cricket before announcing retirement from professional cricket at the age of 35 earlier this year.

Aaron started working as a commentator in IPL 2025. His commentary skills have already impressed viewers.

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#3 Siddarth Kaul

Another fast bowler to feature on the list is Siddarth Kaul, who was a part of the India U-19 squad that won the U-19 World Cup under Virat's captaincy back in the year 2008.

It took 10 years for Kaul to become a part of the Indian team, and he finally made it to the senior Indian team in 2018 when Virat was the full-time captain in all three formats. However, Kaul ended up playing only three ODIs and three T20Is for India.

He worked hard in domestic cricket, but the comeback never happened. In November 2024, Kaul retired from cricket at the age of 34.