Veteran India batter Virat Kohli has cleared the air on speculations surrounding his comeback to Test cricket, saying that he was done playing the longest format.
Kohli announced his retirement from Tests in May 2025, but fans began speculating after his childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, revealed he was in talks with Kohli regarding a possible Test comeback.
“We are talking about it… let’s see what happens,” Rajkumar had said on the Express Cafe podcast.
Virat Kohli “done with Test cricket”
“Na na, I would rather undersell… I’m done with it (Test cricket),” Kohli said while speaking at the launch of his One8 footwear company in New Delhi.
Interestingly, the price of the shoes is ₹9,230, which is exactly the number of runs that Kohli ended his Test career with. This sparked buzz among fans about whether Kohli would come out of Test retirement.
Kohli finished his Test career with 9,230 runs from 123 Tests at an average of 46.85. His total runs include 31 fifties and 30 centuries.
Kohli, who also retired from T20Is in 2024, continues to play ODIs for India, with the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind. However, the Delhi cricketer missed the recently-concluded ODI series against Afghanistan at home, which India clinched 3-0. Kohli, though, has been included in the India squad to face England in a three-match ODI series in England, to be held in July.
The 37-year-old recently spoke about his aspirations to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup. “I am always ready because that’s my daily life. You know, I work out, we eat well at home. It is because I like living that way. It is not only to play cricket,” he had said on Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) podcast in May.
“I know the answer. Like, why would I leave my home, you know, get my stuff over and be like, I don’t know what I want. Of course, if I’m playing, I want to play cricket. I want to carry on.”
He had added, “Playing a World Cup for India is amazing. But as I said, the value has to be two sides.” In 311 ODIs, Kohli has aggregated 14797 runs at an average of 58.71. He has registered 77 fifties and 54 centuries thus far in the 50-over format.
Kohli said, “My perspective is very clear. If I can add value to the environment that I am part of, and the environment feels that I can add value, I will be seen. If I am made to feel like I need to prove my worth and my value, I am not in that space,” he had said.
“I was very clear in my head that I am not going out there to prove anything to anyone. I am going there to play because I love playing the game,” he added.