Just a couple of months after announcing his decision to retire from the longest format, India’s former captain, Virat Kohli, has come up with a strange decision for the very first time on July 8, 2025. The Delhi-born, present at an event of Yuvraj Singh to raise funds for the YouWeCan Foundation in London including some of the star ex-batters and the current Indian red-ball, dropped a bombshell statement regarding his retirement.

Kohli decided to call his time from the longest format for India just a few days after another experienced batter and then captain, Rohit Sharma, declared his retirement from the format. That put enormous pressure on the young players for the five-match red-ball series in England, as they were lacking the intensity and quality of the veteran players. Kohli used his beard as a reference for drawing curtains on his Test career.

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“I just coloured my beard two days ago. You know it's time when you are colouring your beard every four days.” Kohli expressed when insisted by Gaurav Kapur to join Yuvraj, Ravi Shastri, Kevin Pietersen, Chris Gayle, and Darren Gough on the stage of the event. Kohli’s last century in the five-day format came at the Optus Stadium in Perth during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

“You know it’s time when..”- Virat Kohli comes up with a strange decision on Test retirement

The 36-year-old finished his Test career with 9230 runs, the fourth-most among all the Indian batters. He achieved the feat in 210 innings at an average of nearly 47 and a strike rate of 55.57, scoring 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 254 runs against South Africa in Pune. Kohli batted well in Perth during the last away series down under, but couldn’t carry the same form for the rest of the series.

His issues with the balls outside the off stump kept on being explored by all the Australian bowlers. In England, he didn’t have a great record either, apart from the 2018 series when he smashed two centuries at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge. During this event, Kohli looked in a jovial mood, catching up with many former teammates and opponent players.

Having taken retirement from both T20Is and Tests, his focus is now entirely on the upcoming ODI World Cup 2027. He is expected to be back in the Indian team during their away series in Australia a couple of months later.