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.

New Delhi: In a heartfelt message posted on social media, former India captain Virat Kohli this morning announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing down the curtain on a 14-year-long red-ball career that redefined the format for a generation of fans.

“It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket,” Kohli wrote on Instagram. “Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life.”

The 35-year-old batsman, who made his Test debut in June 2011 against the West Indies, described the longest format as “deeply personal”, highlighting the “quiet grind” and “small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever.”

Kohli, who led India to the top of the ICC Test rankings and was instrumental in shaping the team’s aggressive and fitness-driven culture, said stepping away from the format “is 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,”  Virat Kohli added.

The former skipper featured in 123 Test matches, amassing 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85. As captain, he led India in 68 Tests, recording 40 victories — the most by any Indian in the format.

Kohli enjoyed a prolific spell between 2016 and 2019, emerging as one of the most dominant batsmen of the era. Although his form waned in the early 2020s, he showed glimpses of resurgence in 2023. His final outing in whites came during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

“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,” Kohli said, signing off with a smile.