"Mera ek aim hai" - When Virat Kohli revealed his desire to reach one special landmark in Test cricket

It hasn’t been long since India’s Test captain, Rohit Sharma, announced his retirement from the format on Wednesday, May 7. Now, just a few days later, on Saturday, May 10, multiple reports suggest that veteran batter Virat Kohli has also informed the BCCI of his intention to retire from Test cricket. However, the board is said to be encouraging him to rethink his decision.

A source familiar with the development told The Indian Express:

“He has made up his mind and has informed the board that he is moving on from Test cricket. The BCCI has urged him to rethink as the crucial England tour is coming up. He is yet to revert on the request."

Amid these developments, an old statement by the Delhi-born cricketer has resurfaced and gone viral, in which he expressed his ambition to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket.

During an appearance on Aaj Tak’s ‘Seedhi Baat’ segment in 2013, Kohli mentioned that while he doesn’t focus on records, he does have a clear goal of reaching the 10,000-run milestone in the longest format of the game. Kohli said:

“Mai records par bilkul nazar nahi rakhta hu. Koi match main jab mai century banata hu toh phir baad main pata chalta hai ki, quickest to 10 centuries. Toh, match ke baad pata chalta hai, match se pehle mera yeh focus nahi rehta ki mujhe ab 5 innings bachi hai 3 century bana dunga to yeh record ban jayega, mai yeh sab nahi sochta hu. Mera ek aim hai ki mujhe Test cricket mai 10,000 runs banane hai, jo mai chahunga achieve karna.”

[I don't keep track of records at all. When I score a century in a match, I find out afterward that it was the quickest to 10 centuries or something like that. So I only get to know about it after the match. Before the match, my focus is not on things like, 'I have 5 innings left, and if I score 3 more centuries, I'll set a record.' I don't think that way. My aim is to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket, and that's something I really want to achieve].

Meanwhile, the veteran batter is still 770 runs away from reaching the personal milestone he set for himself. So far, Kohli has played 123 Test matches, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 31 half-centuries and 30 centuries.

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Virat Kohli has struggled significantly in Test cricket over the past five years

Virat Kohli was at the peak of his Test career up until the end of 2020, having played 87 matches and scored 7,318 runs at a remarkable average of 53.42, which included 23 half-centuries and 27 centuries.

However, things have taken a downturn for the veteran batter since the beginning of 2021. Over his last 36 Tests, he has managed just 1,912 runs at a modest average of 31.87, with only eight fifties and three centuries during that period.