Why Did Virat Kohli Retire Ahead Of England Test Series - Possible Reasons Explained

Indian cricket team star batter Virat Kohli left the cricketing world stunned as he announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday. Kohli, who is considered to be one of the best batters in modern cricket, took to social media to announce that he will be retiring from the longest format of the sport with immediate effect. Reports have been making the rounds regarding Virat communicating his decision to BCCI but he was asked to reconsider his stance. However, just days after Rohit Sharma announcing his retirement, Kohli also did the same with India facing England in a five-match Test series in June.

The timing of Kohli's announcement was quite interesting as it came just days after Rohit's decision and before the selectors held serious discussions about the squad for the England Test series.

A major reason behind Kohli announcing his retirement right now can be to provide the selectors with enough time to decide on the squad for England. Without Rohit and Kohli in the mix, India have a rather young top-order but there are quite a few names who have staked their claim to the positions.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have long been considered to be the future of the Indian batting line-up with Shreyas Iyer and Sai Sudarshan also in the mix. The absence of Virat can also open the door for an experienced campaigner like Cheteshwar Pujara to offer some stability to the No. 3 position.

Another big factor behind Virat's retirement can be the struggles he faced during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in 2024. Virat had a forgettable campaign with 190 runs in 5 matches - a statistic that becomes infinitely worse when one considers that it includes a century. Kohli's struggles with deliveries outside the