Virat Kohli announced his Test retirement on May 12, 2025. It came as a huge blow to the BCCI, the Indian fans, and the team management, given the timing of his retirement.
Kohli decided to retire from Test cricket with India lined up to play a five-match Test series against England on June 20. The series will also kick off India's WTC 2025-27 campaign.
Previously, Rohit Sharma announced his Test retirement on May 7, and within five days, Virat Kohli also called time on his Test career. Both will continue to play ODI cricket. Kohli retired as India's most successful Test skipper with 40 wins from 68 Test matches as captain. He eventually retired with 30 Test tons and seven double hundreds, the most by an Indian batter. In this article, we will take a look at Virat Kohli's top five best knocks in Test cricket.
Also Read: Virat Kohli announces retirement from Test cricket
141 vs Australia: Adelaide, 2014
Kohli, in his very first Test as captain, scored a century in both innings. Batting first, Australia piled up a mammoth score of 517 runs for seven wickets. Kohli scored 115 runs off 184 balls in the first innings, taking India to a total of 444 runs. Australia came up with an aggressive declaration and asked India to chase 364 on the final day of the Test match. Kohli almost single-handedly kept India in the game with his knock of 141 runs off 175 balls. When he was dismissed, India was still behind by 60 runs and ultimately lost the match by 48 runs. The two tons remain among his best against Australia in Test cricket.
169 vs Australia: Melbourne 2014
This knock is again from India's 2014 tour to Australia. In the first Test, his tons in both innings could not help India win the Test match in Adelaide. However, in Melbourne, responding to Australia's total of 530 runs in the first innings, Kohli's 169-run knock helped India post 465 runs in the first innings. His half-century in the second innings ensured India did not lose the Test match and ended in a draw.
149 vs England: Edgbaston, 2018
Though India did not win this Test match, Kohli's 149 runs was his first Test century on English soil. It showcased his massive hunger to perform well in overseas conditions. When none of the other Indian batters crossed even 40, Kohli's 149 runs off 225 balls took India to 274 runs in response to England's total of 287 runs. He scored 51 runs in the second innings as India were bowled out for 162. This particular knock took him to the number one spot in the ICC Test rankings for batters in 2018, as he became the first Indian batter to get there after Sachin Tendulkar in 2011.
Also Read: Virat Kohli Retires from Tests: What’s Next for Team India?
235 vs England: Mumbai, 2016
This was one of his seven double hundreds and one of his best on Indian soil. England posted a decent total of 400 runs in the first innings. However, it was Virat Kohli's knock of 235 runs from 340 balls that helped India post a mammoth score of 631 runs at the Wankhede Stadium. His knock blew England away as India won the match by an innings and 36 runs.
100* vs Australia: Perth, 2024
This is among the best knocks of Kohli purely because of when and how he scores his runs. There was a period of three years between 2020 and 2023 when Kohli was struggling across formats. He was failing to score hundreds, which was so common with him before that phase. Kohli was expected to do well in the Australia series in 2024-25. India needed to win the series to qualify for the WTC final. Kohli's unbeaten hundred came in the second innings, a knock that was full of patience and perseverance. India won the Perth Test on the back of Kohli's ton. Eventually, they lost the Test series 3-1 to Australia, and the Perth Test was the only one that the team won.
Also Read: “For 60 Overs, They Should Feel Like Hell Out There" Virat Kohli’s Legacy as India’s Test Captain
