India Legend Virat Kohli Announces Retirement From Test Cricket

One of the most famous athletes in the world is calling it quits on his sport's biggest stage.

Virat Kohli celebrates a century against Australia in 2023. / Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

After almost two decades, one of the most famous athletes in the world is calling it a career on his sport's biggest stage.

Virat Kohli—a cricketer from India considered one of the greatest in the history of the sport—is retiring from Test cricket at the age of 36, he announced Monday morning. Test cricket, played over the course of five days, is considered the most prestigious form of the sport.

"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 on Instagram. "As I step away from this format, it’s not easy—but it feels right."

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Kohli's retirement comes two days after the surprise retirement of teammate and captain Rohit Sharma—a 38-year-old with a similarly high profile—from the Test format.

A native of Delhi, Kohli began playing for India's national team in 2006. He has scored 100 runs in an inning 82 times in international play—second-most in history—and the International Cricket Council named him the best player of the 2010s.

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