When Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 10, the timing surprised many. Just a few months earlier, he had trained with the Delhi Ranji Trophy team, played a first-class match post the Sydney Test, and reportedly told his coach that he aimed to “hit 4-5 centuries in England”, referencing his iconic 2018 tour.
“I spoke to Virat a few weeks ago and asked if he’d play county cricket to prepare for the England series. He said, ‘I’ll play 2 India A matches in England, I want to hit 4-5 centuries in the England series, like I did in 2018 when he came to the play the Ranji match’,” Delhi’s Ranji Trophy coach told on Star Sports.
Even in January, Kohli was considered part of the Test plans for the England series starting June 20. So, what changed?
Everything until recently pointed toward Kohli preparing for a big Test comeback. After struggling in the Australia series earlier this year — where he scored a century in Perth but only 90 runs in the next eight innings — Kohli seemed intent on returning strong. He was expected to play two India A games in England ahead of the five-Test series and looked mentally and physically committed to another crack at the format.
Delhi’s Ranji coach even confirmed on Star Sports that Kohli was “keen” to play and had spoken with him about county or India A preparation. So the sudden shift in stance — from “targeting hundreds in England” to walking away from Tests — naturally raises eyebrows.
In January, there were already signs that the BCCI’s internal stance toward senior players was hardening. With Devajit Saikia replacing Jay Shah as secretary, reports suggested there was pressure to move past the “superstar culture.” Following India’s 1-3 Test series loss in Australia, where both Rohit Sharma and Kohli underperformed, senior officials reportedly pushed for tough calls and a generational shift.
A BCCI official told Dainik Jagran at the time:
“There is a need to give such a strong message that no player should consider himself bigger than the game.”
This public and pointed messaging came just ahead of a Special General Meeting (SGM) in January, where the future of senior players, including Kohli and Rohit, was reportedly discussed.
If there were private conversations — perhaps nudges or signals from selectors or board members — Kohli might have felt the Test door was closing, regardless of his intent to continue. It’s also worth noting that Rohit Sharma, who just weeks ago spoke to Michael Clarke about targeting success in England, abruptly retired from Tests as well.
Neither player gave signs of disinterest in Tests publicly. Both were named in the A+ category of BCCI contracts earlier this year — a category meant for all-format players. Both played Ranji games after the Australia tour, which now turns out to be their last appearance in whites. Rohit’s captaincy retirement and Kohli’s Test exit have come without farewell series or a final home Test match, a rarity for players of their stature.
While there’s no confirmed indication of a forced exit, the coincidental timing of two stalwarts retiring in close succession — despite ongoing plans to play — has fuelled speculation that the BCCI is orchestrating a quiet transition ahead of the next World Test Championship cycle.
Beyond form and internal politics, there’s also the broader context. India’s Test side is undergoing a generational shift. Shubman Gill is set to take over as captain, and the team is gradually being rebuilt around younger batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Kohli may have calculated that he would no longer be a central figure in the team’s red-ball roadmap.
With ODIs and the Champions Trophy on the horizon, and India focused on younger Test personnel, Kohli might have decided to bow out on his own terms — before the transition made that decision for him.
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Perhaps the most puzzling part of this story is the lack of a farewell Test. Kohli last played in Sydney — a game that incidentally now becomes his final Test match. For a player of his stature, it’s unusual to not have a send-off in India or even a final tour announcement.
Was it a personal call, or was he never offered the option?
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