Despite the BCCI’s desire for Virat Kohli to rejoin the Test team for the upcoming England tour, reports indicate he remains firm in his retirement decision.

Reports indicate that Virat Kohli remains firm in his decision to retire from Test cricket, rejecting the BCCI’s request for reconsideration. While the BCCI hoped Kohli would participate in the upcoming England tour, he has reportedly communicated his retirement intention. This announcement surprised the cricket world.

“Kohli had informed the selectors two weeks ago about his desire to quit Tests. They were trying to persuade him to play in the Test series against England. However, he is still firm on his stance. The final call will come close to the selection meeting next week,” TOI quoted a source as saying.

Virat’s recent decision to step down from Test cricket remains unexplained, although persistent poor performance is widely speculated as the reason. While there’s no official statement from Kohli, his struggles are evident in his recent scores, particularly a disappointing series against Australia where he averaged 23.75. This poor form isn’t isolated; his overall Test performance over the last five years has been significantly below his usual high standards, with a relatively low run total considering the number of matches played. Despite this recent downturn, his overall Test career record remains impressive.

Virat Kohli’s impressive IPL 2025 performance, where he amassed over 505 runs in 11 matches, generated significant fan optimism for his upcoming tour of England. However, recent events have unexpectedly disappointed his many supporters.