Did Virat Kohli Retire from Tests Due to BCCI's 'Captaincy' U-Turn? Report Makes HUGE Claim

On May 12, Virat Kohli left everyone stunned by announcing his Test retirement. The 36-year-old called time on his career in the oldest format and that means he shall not be on the plane to England. Some days before that, on May 7, Rohit Sharma had done the same. Both Kohli and Rohit have already quit T20Is after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. That means we shall only see them in ODIs, hopefully until the 2027 World Cup.

Why Did He Retire?

There has already been a lot of speculation on why Kohli brought down the curtains. Some feel coach Gautam Gambhir forced him out, others believe the BCCI said he did not fit in the current team and of course, some are of the opinion that Kohli went out on his own terms. But now there is a fresh theory that him not getting the Test captaincy had a lot to do with his decision.

© X/BCCI

Did Kohli Want to Be Test Skipper?

According to a report in Sports Today, the BCCI hinted at naming him skipper but decided not to do so. The report stated that Kohli was given the impression that he would lead the side once more during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“At least people close to him do seem to suggest that he was given sort of a hint that he would be getting captaincy after Adelaide. But then things changed," the report said.

© X/BCCI

But the 3-1 loss against Australia forced the BCCI to make a complete U-turn and it reportedly decided to look for someone younger. As per the report, Kohli was optimistic of being named captain once more. It was an important reason why he turned out for Delhi's Ranji Trophy match against Railways.

Kohli’s Test Legacy

Kohli’s last Test appearance was the Sydney game in 2025. In 14 years, he finished with 123 matches, 9230 runs, 30 100s, 31 50s, seven 200s with a top score of 254 not out. He led India in a record 68 Tests and won a record 40. He has the most Test 200s for India and as an Indian skipper. He has the most runs and 100s by an Indian captain as well. He finishes with the fourth highest run tally among Indian batters. The journey began in 2011 and ended in 2025.