Indian megastar Virat Kohli has retired from Test cricket

Indian megastar Virat Kohli scored more of his Test runs against Australia than any other opponent and his mastery will become legend now he’s made a huge career call.

Indian megastar Virat Kohli will torment Australian Test bowlers no longer after officially signing off from the longest form of the game.

Kohli, 36, who scored more Test runs against Australia than any other country, is retiring after 123 matches and 9230 runs.

Of that haul, 2232, including a mammoth nine hundreds came against Australia in 30 epic battles which made him as fearsome a competitor as modern day teams faced.

He did the unthinkable and scored seven hundreds in Australia, leading the way in two winning series and confirmed on Monday he was “walking away” from the Test arena with a “heart full of gratitude”.

“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,” Kohli wrote on Instagram.

Virat Kohli thrived on the combative nature of Test cricket in Australia, enraging and enjoying the crowds. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

“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.

“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.”

Kohli follows former captain Rohit Sharma into retirement on the back of a series loss in Australia last summer.

Originally published as Indian megastar Virat Kohli has retired from Test cricket