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Virat Kohli stunned the cricket world as he announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 12, weeks ahead of India's five-match series against England. The decision has raised eyebrows with most feeling Kohli quit to escape the possibility of getting dropped from the team.

Historically, Indian greats such as VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma, and even Kohli himself ended their Test careers in Australia. Although official retirement announcements were not made then, they indicated that the BCCI had pushed them aside lest they experience the embarrassment of being left out.

This time Kohli decided to retire on his terms. He apparently feared that if he performed below expectations against England, it might end up being decided by the selectors and not him.  A top BCCI source pointed out that Kohli's position as a cricket icon required respect. But if he had not done well in England, the media and fans would have anyway insisted on his retirement.

Kohli took part in the tour of England in 2014 where he had a bad time but came back stronger in 2018 and 2021. He was poised to be the first ever Indian captain to win Test matches in both Australia and England. But the Coronavirus stole his chance. Kohli's Test figures have been on the decline since the beginning of 2020. Out of his last 39 matches, he only managed 30.72 on an average after scoring three centuries in 69 feeds. Kohli's career average tumbled from the mid-50s in the 2010s to 46.85 by the moment he retired.

India's cricket icon gathered 9,230 runs for his country during his stand of 210 innings, being the fourth to the top run-getters. As a skipper, he was the captain in 68 Tests for India that took place from 2014 to 2022, resulting in 40 victories.

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At the time when the IPL 2025 season got halted on May 9, before resuming on a later date, Kohli was in sensational form for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), having played 11 matches, where he scored 505 runs at an average of 63.12 and a strike rate of 143.46, including seven fifties. The match between RCB and Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday in Bengaluru was washed out due to rain. RCB currently sits at the top of the table, on 17 points, and having previously won 8 of their 12 matches. 

RCB has two remaining games and will be hoping to finish inside the top two, but losing key players like Josh Hazlewood, who has picked up 18 wickets through 10 games, could be problematic.