Virat Kohli, one of the greatest cricketers of the modern generation, announced his Test retirement on Monday (May 12). This comes days after Kohli's longtime teammate, Rohit Sharma, announced his retirement from red-ball cricket.
Kohli represented the nation in 123 Tests, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties, with the highest score of 254.
"As I step away from this format, it's not easy – but it feels right," the 36-year-old wrote on Instagram while announcing his retirement.
Besides his batting prowess, Virat Kohli is among the best Test captains in the world. He led India in 68 Tests, winning 40 and losing 17, while 11 matches ended in draws.
His maiden Test match as captain came during the first Test of the 2014 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Adelaide. While he began his leadership stint with a defeat, Kohli finished as one of the most successful captains to lead Team India.
As Kohli retires from Test cricket, we look at what the India XI players from his first Test as captain are doing now.
Openers - Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan
Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan have long served the Indian Test team and made key contributions. While Vijay scored two half-centuries in that Test, Dhawan had a lean outing in that game in Adelaide.
Vijay announced his international retirement in January 2023 and currently works as a commentator. Dhawan, on the other hand, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket last year. The southpaw currently plays in the T20 leagues for retired players.
Batters - Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma
Cheteshwar Pujara came into the circuit as a replacement for Rahul Dravid and did a commendable job. He blocked everything that came his way, even if it took putting his body on the line. However, a dip in form has caused him to lose his place on the Indian Test side. Pujara currently plies his trade in the domestic circuit and is also seen playing County cricket.
Virat Kohli is among the modern-day greats, and his aura extends beyond the cricket field. The ace batter announced his retirement from red-ball cricket on Monday, May 12. The 36-year-old, who announced his T20 retirement last year, will continue representing the team in ODIs.
Ajinkya Rahane, who led India sporadically in Kohli's absences, has also lost his spot in the Test side after struggling with inconsistencies. However, Rahane still leads Mumbai's domestic side and is also the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
Rohit Sharma, who batted in the middle order in that Test, has also bid farewell to red-ball cricket. Like Kohli, Rohit also announced his T20 retirement last year after guiding the team to the T20 World Cup title. However, he will continue to lead the Men in Blue in 50-over cricket.
Wicketkeeper - Wriddhiman Saha
The wicketkeeper-batter from Bengal played in that Test in place of MS Dhoni. He scored 38 runs across two innings and took a couple of catches.
Wriddhiman Saha, who gained prominence during Kohli's captaincy tenure, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket earlier this year. Saha currently coaches budding cricketers in Kolkata.
Bowlers - Karn Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Varun Aaron
Leg spinner Karn Sharma played only one Test, which came in Virat Kohli's first red-ball game as India captain. He picked up four wickets in that game and scored only eight runs.
Sharma is still active in domestic cricket and represents Railways. He is currently part of the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025.
Mohammed Shami returned to competitive cricket earlier this year after a long injury layoff. He still represents the Men in Blue across formats and is currently part of the SunRisers Hyderabad in the IPL.
Ishant Sharma was India's seniormost pacer on that tour. However, he had an average outing, picking up only six wickets in three matches. Ishant represented Team India for another seven to eight years before bidding farewell to international cricket in 2023. He is currently part of the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL.
Varun Aaron grabbed headlines with his raw pace, but struggled with his lines and lengths. He never lived up to his potential and played only nine Tests for the country. Aaron announced his retirement from all formats of the game earlier this year and is currently working as an analyst for JioStar.
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