Virat Kohli announces retirement from Test cricket

New Delhi | India's batting talisman Virat Kohli on Monday announced his retirement from Test cricket ending the speculation about his future in the longest format.

The 36-year-old Kohli turned up in 123 Tests for India, scoring 9230 runs with 30 hundreds at an average of 46.85. He will only play in ODIs now, having already retired from T20 Internationals last year.

"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," Kohli announced on his instagram page.

"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," he added.

His retirement continues the exodus of Indian bigwigs from the Test arena. Ravichandran Ashwin (in December) and Rohit Sharma (last week) are the others to have called it quits in the format.