Star India cricketer Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket in May this year, taking the whole cricket world by shock. The right-handed batsman, widely regarded as one of the greatest to have played the sport, hung his boots with 9,230 runs in 123 games. With several records to his credit, Kohli also massively contributed to the Indian side as a captain and led them to heights never seen before. As one of the ‘Fab Four’ along with Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, and Joe Root, Kohli could be counted amongst those batsmen who popularized the sport of Test cricket among the common people.
Kane Williamson’s Reaction to Kohli’s Retirement
The news of Kohli’s retirement from Tests not only pained Indian fans and cricketers but also his competitors overseas. Kiwi batsman Kane Williamson recently said that he was shocked with the news but also praised the Indian batsman for his decision.
“You never really consider it and you do see some of your opponents and mates making some of these decisions and you think ‘gosh, it has been a while’, and you’re not getting younger,” Williamson told Independent.
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“It’s a reality at some stage. For someone like Virat, who made that decision to go out on his own terms and do what he’s done for the game, that’s amazing. That’s so special,” he added.
The Inevitable Reality of Retirement
Williamson added it’s a sour fact that every player needs to retire one day, irrespective of how popular or good he is.
“Everyone was caught by surprise because you feel like it will never happen, but it does. I’m more aware of that than most – and that’s great,” said Williamson.
Kohli’s Retirement from Other Formats
For the uninformed, Kohli also brought curtains to his T20I life after Team India won the T20 World Cup in 2024. Besides Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja also declared their retirement from the shortest format.
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Similar to Kohli, India captain Rohit also stepped down from Test cricket in May this year, making way for the next Test captain in Shubman Gill. Kohli and Rohit continue to play the ODIs and hope to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup.
