Virat Kohli’s sudden announcement to retire from Test cricket may have shocked the cricket world, but according to Ajit Agarkar, Chair of India’s men’s selection panel, the decision was anything but sudden behind the scenes.
Speaking at the press conference to announce India’s 18-member squad for the upcoming five-Test tour of England, Agarkar revealed that Kohli had informed selectors of his retirement weeks in advance.
“Virat reached out early April and said he wants to finish.”
The timing—just ahead of a marquee away series and the start of a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle—added to the significance of the call. But Agarkar made it clear: this was Kohli’s decision, made on his own terms.
‘He had given everything’: Kohli bows out on his terms
Agarkar made it clear that Kohli’s choice to walk away wasn’t prompted by poor form or board pressure—but by personal standards the former captain held himself to throughout a legendary career.
“We’ve seen him give 200% to every ball that he plays, even when he is not batting or he’s in the field. He probably felt that he had given everything that he had and if he can’t keep up to the standards that he set for himself over the years, and how good he has been, and maybe it was time for him. It has come from him. You’ve got to respect that.”
“They have earned that respect, both of them. As all great players are, the one thing there is, they are true to themselves, and he was in that conversation. So you’ve got to respect that. We’ll obviously miss [Kohli], when you’ve got a guy who’s played 123 Test matches, 30 Test hundreds, it’s going to be tough to fill.”
A wave of retirements forces a Test transition
Kohli’s retirement follows Rohit Sharma’s decision to step away from Tests and Ravichandran Ashwin’s exit midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in December. Mohammed Shami, though not officially retired, is also absent from the squad. Together, they represent a combined 190 Tests and irreplaceable experience.
“When guys like that retire it’s always going to be big holes to fill.”
“Ashwin retired a few months back as well, so those three guys are stalwarts of our cricket. It’s always difficult. One way of looking at it is an opportunity for someone else. They’ve left a legacy behind.”
“Needless to say, Rohit has been a leader over the last couple of years since he started leading in the Test matches. It is a new cycle, so it is an opportunity to build something for us as well. That’s why I think we’ve got to show them the respect that they want instead of speculating too many things. It is sometimes a personal call with players and you’ve got to respect that and their performances over the years have shown in the amount of games that they’ve won for India.”
“It is someone else’s chance now but there’s no doubt we’ll miss them. I mean all three of them and [Mohammed] Shami. In Test cricket he’s been incredible. So four guys like that not being part of the squad is going to make it a little bit tougher but it’s an opportunity for other guys.”
India’s future begins in England—and in a new WTC cycle
India’s upcoming series in England, beginning June 20 at Headingley, marks the team’s first Test series of the 2025–27 WTC cycle. With Shubman Gill taking over as captain and fresh faces entering the squad—including 23-year-old uncapped batter B Sai Sudharsan and a returning Karun Nair—India’s red-ball rebuild is underway.
“It’s a new WTC cycle so you are looking at all sorts of scenarios for the next two years – what is going to help build a team, leading up to that WTC final.”
The new squad reflects a deliberate pivot toward youth and long-term planning, following a disappointing WTC cycle in which India was whitewashed 3-0 at home by New Zealand and lost 3-1 to Australia. With no place in the upcoming WTC final at Lord’s between Australia and South Africa, the team has a clean slate to recalibrate.
“It’s an opportunity for somebody else and that’s our job eventually to pick someone else when someone finishes. These two guys were big players for us in Test cricket and those are going to be big holes to fill.”
