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Why Virat Kohli retired from the Tests remains an unsolved puzzle even after months. The recent comments made by the former Team India batter Mohammad Kaif fuel the debate.
During an event organized by Amar Ujala, Mohammad Kaif claims that Virat Kohli felt an unwelcoming atmosphere during his last few days with the team for the particular format. As he did not feel the warmth that he used to have in the past, he signed off from the format in an unceremonious way.
Mohammad Kaif makes shocking claims on Virat Kohli's Test retirement
Mentioning a recent interview of Virat Kohli, Mohammad Kaif stated that the atmosphere of the dressing room was not aligning well with the batter. He was not feeling in the same way that he had felt in the past. Kaif believes that Kohli retired from the Tests as he received no proper welcome, and people also might not be interested in seeing him in the side no longer.
“Test cricket was Kohli’s favorite format, and he wanted to continue playing it. Virat Kohli left Test cricket because he felt that he was not welcomed properly and that people did not want to see him in the team. He felt that he was no longer needed on the Test side. The circumstances became such that he had to leave Test cricket, and no one is talking about this,” the former cricketer said via the affirmative source.
Will Virat Kohli take a U-turn and reconsider the retirement?
The batter officially announced his retirement from Test cricket in May 2025, only a few days ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy in England. The announcement dropped from nowhere, probably no one expected to see it coming. Before taking retirement from the format, the batting maestro scored 9,230 runs across 123 matches in his Test career, spanning around 14 long years.
A few days ago, during an event with One8, he was asked whether there were any chances to see him back in the Whites again in the near future. The batter’s reply was sharp.
“Na na, I would rather undersell... I'm done with it (Test cricket),” he said.
His comments came at the launch of his One8 footwear line in New Delhi, where a premium red shoe was priced INR 9,230, similar to his runs in the Tests. So, the host of the event, Danish Sai, asked Kohli whether it was a hint about a possible return in the Test? He replied with a straight ‘Na (No)’.
Virat Kohli took Team India to new heights in the Tests
He retired from the Tests as one of the most celebrated batters in modern-day cricket. The batter brought down the curtain on his Test career with a staggering total of 9,230 runs from 123 Tests at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and seven double hundreds.
The former Team India captain stitched a strong bond with the former head coach Ravi Shastri, which took the team to the peak of the format. Under the leadership of Kohli, India had multiple wins in Tests in overseas conditions as well.
MOHAMMAD KAIF ON VIRAT KOHLI & WHY HE LEFT TEST CRICKET. 🥺 (Amar Ujala).pic.twitter.com/vh6Qua3LWc
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) June 27, 2026
