In a startling turn of events, Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli has reportedly expressed his intent to retire from Test cricket ahead of the crucial five-match series against England, set to commence on June 20. According to a report by TimesofIndia.com on Saturday, Kohli has communicated his decision to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), leaving officials and fans in disbelief. While the BCCI had pinned their hopes on Kohli leading the charge in England, it appears the final call rests with the former captain himself.
The news has sent shockwaves through the cricketing fraternity, with many urging Kohli to reconsider. Stakeholders within and outside the BCCI, who prioritize the future of Indian cricket, are keen to see him board that flight to England. However, as the speculations grow, an intriguing blast from the past has captured the internet’s attention—a decade-old interview where a young, ambitious Kohli vowed to achieve the monumental feat of scoring 10,000 Test runs.
In the 2013 interview with Aaj Tak’s ‘Seedhi Baat,’ Kohli, then an emerging talent, spoke passionately about his goals. ‘I don’t keep track of records at all. When I score a century, I only find out later if it was the quickest to a milestone or something similar. My focus isn’t on setting records in a specific number of innings. My aim is to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket, and that’s something I deeply want to achieve,’ he said. These words, resonating with raw determination, now carry a bittersweet tone as his potential retirement looms large.
Since his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies, Kohli has played 123 Test matches, amassing an impressive 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85. With just 770 runs shy of the coveted 10,000-run mark, he stands tantalizingly close to joining an elite club. Only seven batsmen in cricket history have crossed the 10,000-run barrier in both ODIs and Tests, and Kohli was widely tipped to be the next. Among Indian batters, he ranks fourth in Test run-scoring charts, trailing behind legends Sachin Tendulkar (15,921), Rahul Dravid (13,288), and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122).
However, Kohli’s form in the longest format has been under scrutiny lately. During his last Test outing in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia (November 2024 to January 2025), he struggled to find consistency, scoring just 190 runs in nine innings at a disappointing average of 23.75. A gritty century at Perth was the silver lining in an otherwise challenging series, reminding fans of his unparalleled ability to rise under pressure.
Adding to India’s Test cricket woes, captain Rohit Sharma recently announced his retirement from the format earlier this week. With Kohli potentially following suit, the Indian red-ball batting lineup faces a seismic shift, leaning heavily on emerging talents in the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The prospect of losing two stalwarts in quick succession raises concerns about the team’s experience and stability in overseas conditions, especially in a high-stakes series like the one in England.
As fans and experts await Kohli’s final decision, the resurfaced interview serves as a poignant reminder of his hunger and vision for Test cricket. Will Kohli chase that unfinished dream of 10,000 Test runs, or will he bid farewell to the format that defined much of his grit and glory? Only time will tell, but for now, the cricketing world watches with bated breath, hoping to witness a few more iconic knocks from one of India’s greatest-ever batsmen.