Harry Kane and Bayern Munich react to Virat Kohli’s Test retirement ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 series [In Picture]

England football star Harry Kane and German club Bayern Munich have reacted to Indian legend Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket. The 36-year-old confirmed his retirement just ahead of India’s highly anticipated five-Test series against England, which begins on June 20 in Leeds.

Rumors about Kohli's potential retirement had been circulating in recent days. On Monday, May 11, the Delhi-born cricketer confirmed the news with an emotional message on Instagram, officially bringing his illustrious Test career to an end.

“It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test 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. 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,” Kohli wrote.

“As I step away from this format, it’s not easy — but it feels right. I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for. I’m walking away with a heart full of gratitude — for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way. I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile. #269, signing off,” he added.

Meanwhile, football club Bayern Munich shared a post on their official Instagram account featuring Virat Kohli alongside their star striker, Harry Kane. The caption read:

“A true great of the game. Congratulations on an absolutely legendary career, @virat.kohli.”

Harry Kane reacts to Virat Kohli’s Test retirement (Image via [email protected])

Bayern Munich have already secured the 2024–25 Bundesliga title and currently lead the points table with 79 points from 33 matches.

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Virat Kohli registered 61 fifty-plus scores during his Test career

Virat Kohli made his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies in Kingston and went on to represent India in 123 red-ball matches. Throughout his remarkable career, the star batter accumulated 9,230 runs at an impressive average of 46.85.

His Test record includes 31 half-centuries and 30 centuries, with his highest score being an unbeaten 254 against South Africa in 2019 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.