Kohli had made up his mind to quit longer format: sources

Virat Kohli's surprising Test retirement confirmed by himself, signaling a shift in Indian cricket towards team over personal milestones.

Virat Kohli’s Test retirement – formalised on Monday by the veteran batter himself following three days of reported speculation – may have come as a surprise to the ardent fans of Test cricket.

For Kohli – who has inspired a generation of aspiring Test cricketers in a country that is increasingly being driven crazy by wannabe IPL stars – to hang up his whites ahead of a decisive away Test series was odd, to say the least.

The timing may have raised more than a few eyebrows. But various members of the Indian cricket set-up – players, members of the team management and administrators – confirmed that there was very little to any conspiracy theory.

“Once he had made up his mind to let the younger lot take over ahead of the new World Test Championship cycle, everyone else was kind of helpless. There were a few attempts made to check if he was willing to reconsider his decision, but to no avail,” a highly-placed source said, on condition of anonymity.

The Hindu understands that Kohli personally informed a member of the team management about his decision to retire from Test cricket with immediate effect last month. It led to discussion among the Indian team management.

Certain members of the team management felt that Kohli’s experience – and his unwavering energy on the field – will be required in England. However, Kohli politely responded with him having “made up his mind”.

“This decision – both by Rohit (Sharma) and Virat – underlines the shift in Indian cricket, introduced by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, of always placing the team ahead of personal records or milestones. The moment both of them sensed that the team needed time to settle down, they decided to make way at the start of a new WTC cycle.”