Virat Kohli wanted to retire on May 7, BCCI asked him to wait due to operation vermilion: report

Virat Kohli’s Test career ended on Monday. With a emotional message on Instagram, the captain of the former Indian cricket team brought the screen down on a stunning Test cricket career, which saw him many peaks. Virat Kohli finished his Test career at an average of 46.85 in 123 Tests for 9230 runs. Now, Virat Kohli will play only in ODIs, the T20I format post after retiring from India’s 2024 T20 World Cup Triumph.

The retirement of the star batter comes closer to the heels of Rohit Sharma’s retirement on 7 May. If a report in the Indian Express is to be believed, Virat Kohli wanted to declare his retirement through social media on the same day. However, according to the report, Kohli was advised to “wait for a few days before making his statement public, as the military conflict with Operation Sindoor and Pakistan was in full swing.”

After the declaration of ceasefire between India and Pakistan on Saturday (May 10), the report stated that Kohli told the BCCI and the selectors that he would soon make his decision public and declared his retirement from the tests on Monday. The report states that the desire to spend more time with his family is an important factor behind the decision. In the last one year, Kohli has often flew to England along with his wife and actor Anushka Sharma, daughter Vamika and son Aonya.

After India’s 1–3 defeat in Australia at the Seema Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, the BCCI sent an instruction that family members would be allowed with the squad. Kohli was clearly not happy with the decision.

Kohli said in an event during IPL 2025, “The role of the family is very difficult to explain to the people. How much grounding it is that every time you have something that you have, which is outwards.”

“I don’t think people understand what value it brings. I do not want to go to my room and just want to sit alone.

“So, for me, it is a very happy day. I will not remember any opportunity to go out and spend time with my family. I feel very disappointed about this because it is like those who have no control, brought into conversation and that oh, need to keep away, perhaps need to be kept away”.