Cricket

At least 11 people died and dozens were injured in stampede outside Bengaluru stadium on Wednesday.

Police in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru have arrested four people after a stampede during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) cricket team’s Indian Premier League victory celebrations killed 11 people and injured at least 47, local media reported.

Three people from an event management company and one official from the RCB team were arrested on Friday, according to local media reports.

Media outlet India Today said Nikhil Sosale, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s head of marketing, was arrested at Bengaluru’s airport.

The Indian Express newspaper reported Sosale was arrested along with an executive from an event management company.

There was no immediate comment from RCB.

Tens of thousands of people had packed the streets of the city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka on Wednesday to welcome home their hero Virat Kohli and his RCB team after they beat Punjab Kings in the final of the Indian Premier League.

As the team was celebrating with the trophy inside a stadium in the city, thousands of people tried to push through the gates, leading to a stampede.

The franchise said later the incident was “unfortunate” and pledged one million Indian rupees ($11,655) to each family of the 11 fans who died.

The deaths have prompted widespread anger and top police officers have been suspended.

On Thursday during a news conference, Karnataka state’s chief minister Siddaramaiah, who only uses one name, criticised the suspended officials.

“These officers appear to be irresponsible and negligent and it has been decided to suspend them,” Siddaramaiah said.

The chief minister also said “legal action has been taken against the representatives of RCB,” as well as the event organisers and the state’s cricket association. He noted that a first information report, which marks the start of a police investigation, had been “registered against them”.

Kohli, who top-scored in the final, said he was “at a loss for words” after celebrations of a dream first IPL crown turned to tragedy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the accident “absolutely heartrending”.

Stampedes occur frequently in India, mainly at religious events, but it was the first time in 45 years that fans had died in a crush at a sporting event, local media said.

India’s head cricket coach Gautam Gambhir said on Thursday he did not support such roadshows and celebrations.

“Celebration is important. But more important than that is the life of any person. So, if we are not prepared or if we can’t handle the crowd in that way, then we might as well not have these roadshows,” Gambhir told reporters.

The pioneering IPL sold its broadcast rights in 2022 for five seasons to global media giants for an eye-popping $6.2bn, putting it up amongst the highest-ranked sport leagues in cost-per-match terms.

At least 11 people died in a stampede outside a cricket stadium in Bengaluru as crowds gathered to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s first Indian Premier League title. Footage shows fans scaling fences and swarming the stadium.

Scotland suffered a surprise last-ball defeat by Nepal in a nailbiting World Cup League 2 one-day international in Dundee.

Chasing the home side’s 296-7, Nepal’s last pair levelled the scores with one ball of the final over to spare.

And, when left-arm spinner Mark Watt’s delivery down the leg side was signalled as a wide to hand Nepal victory, it sparked a pitch invasion from passionate Nepal fans.

Nepal, who sit second bottom of the eight-team qualifying section, had lost to a second-string Scotland A side in a warm-up match on Thursday.

With Scotland asked to bat first, it looked like opener Charlie Tear’s 80, with Finlay McCreath pitching in with 55, had set a healthy target for the visitors.

Although Nepal opener Khushal Bhurtel scored 55, they slumped from 152-2 to 192-7 before all-rounder Karan KC, coming in at nine, did the damage with an unbeaten 65 from 41 balls, including four sixes.

Nepal went into the final over on 290-8 after Karan had plundered 18 from the 49th, but George Munsey caught Sandeep Lamichhane off Watt’s first delivery.

However, a wide from Watt and a single from last man Rijan Dhakal left Karan on strike with five needed for victory from three deliveries.

Karan hit two twos before Watt’s second wide of the over sealed an unlikely victory.

It looked like the fateful delivery may have come off Karan’s pad, but any protests were to no avail as Nepal took the points against a Scotland side sitting fourth in the table and four places above the visitors in the world rankings.

The ODI tri-series continues on Wednesday at the same venue, with Nepal taking on the Netherlands.

Maxwell, known as one of the game’s most powerful hitters, is calling time on his one-day career with Australia.

Explosive Australian batsman Glenn Maxwell has announced his retirement from one-day cricket, but will continue in Twenty20 cricket with his eye on next year’s World Cup.

The 36-year-old, who played 149 One Day Internationals (ODIs), blasting 3,990 runs, said he was starting to feel the physical toll of the 50-over game.

“I felt like I was letting the team down a little bit with how my body was reacting to the conditions,” said Maxwell on Monday, who was nicknamed “Big Show” for his all-action entertaining style of play.

“I had a good chat with [chair of selectors] George Bailey and I asked him what his thoughts were going forward.

“We talked about the 2027 [50-over] World Cup and I said to him, ‘I don’t think I am going to make that, it’s time to start planning for people in my position to have a crack at it and make the position their own’.

“I didn’t want to just hold on for a couple of series and almost play for selfish reasons.”

His last game was Australia’s Champions Trophy semifinal defeat to India in early March, after which fellow veteran Steve Smith also quit the 50-over format.

The mercurial Maxwell’s strike rate of 126.70 is the second-highest in ODI cricket, where he has crunched four hundreds and 23 half-centuries.

His rate of scoring is second only to West Indian heavy hitter Andre Russell. Maxwell has also taken 77 wickets with his off-spin.

An ODI career for the ages

In a career littered with many magic moments, perhaps his most memorable innings was at the 2023 World Cup against Afghanistan in Mumbai, when he was batting with Australia reeling at 91-7, chasing 293 to win.

In a high-pressure situation, and battling a severe cramp in searing heat, Maxwell took control, slamming 201 from just 128 balls to take his team to victory.

He scored 179 of those runs in an unbroken 202 partnership with Pat Cummins, who contributed just 12 after coming at number nine.

Australia went on to win the tournament, beating favourites India in the final at Ahmedabad.

Maxwell was also part of the Australia team that lifted the 2015 ODI World Cup.

“Glenn will be known as one of the one-day game’s most dynamic players, who had key roles in two ODI World Cup victories,” said Bailey.

“His level of natural talent and skill is remarkable. His energy in the field, under-rated ability with the ball and longevity has been superb.

“What else stands out is his passion for and commitment to playing for Australia.

“Fortunately, he still has much to offer Australia in the T20 format. All things going well, he will be pivotal in the next 12 months as we build toward the World Cup early next year.”

Opener scores 107 off 46 as Pakistan chase 197 with seven wickets in hand and 16 balls to spare for 3-0 series win.

A nerveless century from Mohammad Haris has led Pakistan’s chase of 197 runs to win the third T20 international cricket match against Bangladesh and complete a 3-0 series win in Lahore.

Having won the first two matches after choosing to bowl first, Pakistan asked the visitors to bat first in the third match on Sunday at Gaddafi Stadium in Pakistan’s eastern metropolis.

Given a tricky target of 197, Pakistan lost Sahibzada Farhan – their highest scorer in the second T20I – in the first over to Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

While the Pakistan of old may have crumbled under the pressure of losing a quick wicket, the new-look side under young captain Salman Agha and freshly-appointed coach Mike Hesson kept up their scoring rate.

Saim Ayub and Haris formed a 92-run partnership as they took on the Bangladeshi bowling attack to maintain a high scoring rate and keep the target within sight.

Ayub was dismissed in the 10th over by Tanzim Hasan Sakib after scoring 45 runs off 29 balls, but by then, Haris had taken on the role of the main hitter and kept the big shots coming.

The wicketkeeper-batter hit seven sixes and eight fours in his 46-ball 107, which kept Bangladesh out of contention for most of Pakistan’s innings.

He was all smiles as he accepted the Player of the Match award and said that despite not performing well for Pakistan in the recent past, he kept working hard.

“I tried to learn from my mistakes and didn’t want to waste this opportunity that I got to play in this series,” he said.

Haris added that he batted with the simple plan of “see ball, play ball” and didn’t want to play any unnecessary shots.

Earlier, Bangladesh’s innings had got off to a swift start when Parvez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan overpowered Pakistan’s opening bowlers Ayub and Faheem Ashraf.

They set up an opening stand of 110, but the Bangladeshi batting lineup derailed soon after Tanzid’s departure in the 11th over.

Despite starts from captain Litton Das (22 runs) and Towhid Hridoy (25 runs), the Tigers were unable to maintain the scoring rate set by the openers.

A total of 196-6 in 20 overs ensured the home team faced some pressure when they came out to bat, but Pakistan’s array of attacking batters disregarded scoreboard pressure and took their team home with 16 balls to spare.

Pakistan captain Salman, who was on the pitch with Haris when the winning runs were scored, said he was delighted with his team’s consistency.

“We want to test ourselves where things become difficult, and we wanted to chase to put the boys under pressure,” Salman explained after the match.

The 3-0 series sweep was Pakistan’s first since 2021.

Three wickets Abrar by followed fifties by Sahibzada and Nawaz as the hosts took a 2-0 series lead against Bangladesh.

Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 57 runs in the second T20 international in Lahore to seal the three-game series 2-0.

Opener Sahibzada Farhan was named Player of the Match after he top scored with 74 for the hosts, who won the toss at Gaddafi Stadium before posting 201-6.

It was a fair fight back from Bangladesh to restrict the hosts after Hasan Nawaz recorded the best strike rate of the innings with an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls.

Tanzim Hasan gave some respectability to the chase, which was reduced to 77-7, when, coming in at nine, the Bangladesh bowling allrounder added 50 off 31 balls.

Abrar Ahmed’s off-break spin was key to restricting the tourists as he claimed 3-19 off his four overs to help Pakistan to their first T20 home series win since December 2021.

“It feels very good … I didn’t know it was three and a half years,” the Pakistan captain Salman Agha said afterwards of the end of the barren run.

“It was a complete performance, and that is way better than anything else.

“Everyone is loving the team environment where everyone can come and enjoy playing for Pakistan.”

Pakistan, who won the first match by 37 runs at the same venue, brought in opener Sahibzada in place of Fakhar Zaman.

The decision was fully repaid with six sixes and four fours recorded by the right-hander in his 41-ball innings.

The match could not have got off to a worse start for Bangladesh with Shoriful Islam limping out of his first bowl. The left-arm seamer appeared to tweak a groin while fielding the ball in his follow-through and adds to a long list of absent pacers for the tourists.

“When Shoriful was injured, the momentum shifted,” the Bangladesh skipper Litton Das said.

“We have a lack of bowling, but we came back well because I would back our batters any day to chase 200 on this track.

“Whoever is batting well has to keep going, for 13 or 14 overs, but after four overs we didn’t bat well and there were back-to-back wickets.

“In cricket, you have to do the basics, we don’t do it at the moment.”

Bangladesh had reached 44-0 in the fourth over of the chase before the collapse that ended their hopes of bouncing back from the opening defeat.

Opener Tanzid Hasan struck 33 from 19 balls in the stand, but once he fell to the seam of Faheem Ashraf an inevitable end quickly formed.

The last match is on Sunday, also in Lahore.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru demolishes Punjab Kings with eight-wicket win to reach first IPL final since 2016.

Virat Kohli inched closer to a maiden Indian Premier League title after Royal Challengers Bengaluru thrashed Punjab Kings by eight wickets in a lopsided qualifier to reach the final of the 10-team tournament.

A superlative performance by their bowlers in Thursday’s game left Bengaluru needing only 102 to make Sunday’s final and they reached the target in just 10 overs with opener Phil Salt, who made 56 not out, leading the charge.

Punjab can still make the final if they can win the second qualifier against the winner of Friday’s eliminator between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans.

Kohli made 12, but has been Bengaluru’s leading scorer this season.

The former India captain has been with the franchise since the inaugural 2008 edition of the league. Bengaluru reached the finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016 but were beaten on all three occasions.

“It’s a great feeling right now,” Salt said. “Obviously, we had a second bite at the cherry, but it’s such a good feeling to get that out of the way first-time.

“It just gives us that momentum. It’s such a cliche, but it’s so true at the back end of the tournament.”

Bengaluru have looked formidable this season and,

electing to field, their fiery pace attack, led by a returning Josh Hazlewood, bundled out Punjab in 14.1 overs.

Having recovered from a shoulder niggle, Hazlewood led Bengaluru’s superb pace display as they reduced Punjab to 71-7 at the halfway stage of their innings.

Hazlewood’s (3-21) victims included rival skipper Shreyas Iyer, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed the important wicket of Prabhsimran Singh, Punjab’s leading scorer this season.

Marcus Stoinis made 26 before losing his stumps to leg-spinner Suyash Sharma, who claimed 3-17 in his three overs.

Kyle Jamieson removed Kohli in the fourth over, but Bengaluru raced to 61-1 in their six powerplay overs, compared with Punjab’s 48-4, with Salt hitting boundaries almost at will.

Salt took 23 balls to bring up his fifty and skipper Rajat Patidar hit a six to seal Bengaluru’s victory in a match that lasted only 24.1 overs.

Pakistan win the opening match of the three-game T20 series against Bangladesh by 37 runs in Lahore.

Pakistan stormed to a 37-run win against Bangladesh in the opening T20 international of the three-match series at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Hasan Ali, returning to the side for the first time in a year, claimed 5-30 to bowl the tourists out for 164 in the final over.

Having won the toss, the hosts amassed 201-7 with captain Salman Agha top scoring with 56, but the innings was not without its bumps.

Right-arm seamer Hasan stole the hearts at least on his return to the international fold, following injury troubles, having recently impressed in his country’s domestic Two competition, the Pakistan Super League.

“I have seen him work hard and put in extra hours, and it has all paid off,” his skipper said afterwards.

On his top score in the match, Salman added, “What mattered is that everyone contributed, and that’s how we want to play – everyone has to bat, bowl and field well.”

Pakistan, like Bangladesh, are looking to recover from the group-stage exits at February’s ICC Champions Trophy, a competition they hosted.

It couldn’t have been a worse start for the hosts, who also lost seven of eight matches in the recent white-ball series against New Zealand, as they were reduced to 5-2 after eight balls of their innings.

Mohammad Haris began the recovery with his captain Salman as the pair shared a stand of 51 for the third wicket.

Hasan Nawaz took that foundation on with the highest strike rate of the innings as he hit 44 off 22 balls in a stand of 65 – the highest of the innings.

Salman was the only batter in the match to reach a half century and posted 56 off 24 with eight fours and one six.

The fourth-wicket pair fell within 11 deliveries of each other, and the finish looked to be stuttering until Shadab Khan smashed 48 off 25 to pile the pressure back onto Bangladesh.

The allrounder’s end came off the penultimate ball of the innings as Shoriful Islam claimed his second wicket – the only Bangladesh player to claim more than one scalp.

A top-heavy reply from the tourists looked to offer hope of a series-opening win as the highest partnership of the match of 63 was shared between their captain Litton Das and Tawhid Hridoy for the third wicket.

The breaking of that partnership, with the score on 100-2 before Litton departed, was the beginning of the end for the chase.

Shadab Khan claimed 2-26 along with his ferocious tally with the bat to be named Player of the Match.

“My comeback to Pakistan colours wasn’t great despite my hard work, but my recent performances in PSL helped regain some confidence,” the Pakistan vice captain said, having lost his place in the side recently.

All the matches in the series are being played in Lahore, with the second game taking place on Friday before the series finale on Sunday.

“We didn’t bowl, bat and field well,” Bangladesh captain Litton said in his post-match comments, believing his team needs more consistency in “all areas of the game”.

“We have two more games, so we must come back strongly as a unit,” he added.

The Qalandars chase a record target of 202 against the Gladiators as Raza returns from Test duty to hit the winning runs.

All-rounder Sikandar Raza has written his name in Pakistan cricket folklore after hitting the match-winning six as the Lahore Qalandars beat the Quetta Gladiators by six wickets to win the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Raza, who was part of Zimbabwe’s Test team until Saturday afternoon, joined the Qalandars’ playing XI 10 minutes prior to the toss for the final on Sunday evening in Pakistan’s eastern metropolis.

The Pakistan-born off-break bowler and lower-middle-order batter took one wicket and scored 22 runs off seven balls as Lahore chased a target of 202 with one ball to spare.

Lahore’s run chase was largely built around Kusal Perera’s 62 runs, with support from top-order batters Mohammad Naeem and Abdullah Shafique, but it was Raza’s whirlwind journey from the United Kingdom to Pakistan and his subsequent role in hitting the winning runs that stole the show and Lahori hearts.

The 39-year-old recounted his last 24 hours by saying he had “dinner in Birmingham, breakfast in Dubai, lunch in Abu Dhabi and flew straight to Lahore for the PSL final”.

Raza bowled 25 overs in the Test on Friday and batted for 20-plus overs on Saturday before leaving for Pakistan.

“To have a victory like this, I just have no words,” he said after the match.

The hosts finished on 204-4 from 19.5 overs to lift their third PSL trophy in four years, making Shaheen Shah Afridi the only captain to win three PSL titles.

Earlier, Quetta posted a formidable total of 201-9 in their 20 overs as young batter Hasan Nawaz scored 76 runs off 43 balls and Faheem Ashraf cracked three sixes and two fours in an innings of 28 off eight balls.

Afridi was the pick of the Lahore bowlers, taking 3-24 in his four overs.

Perera was named player of the match for his instrumental innings that kept Lahore in the match until the last over.

Meanwhile, Nawaz was named player of the tournament for amassing 399 runs in the competition.

Lahore Qalanders beat Islamabad United by 95 runs to reach Sunday’s Pakistan Super League final.

Lahore Qalandars qualified for their third Pakistan Super League final in four years after an emphatic 95-run win against defending champion Islamabad United.

Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi grabbed two wickets for three runs in his three overs as Islamabad was routed for 107 in 15.1 overs in reply to Lahore’s imposing 202-8 on Friday.

Islamabad struggled to get going in the chase in the absence of star opener Alex Hales, who missed the crucial eliminator to attend a friend’s wedding in Spain.

Afridi got a wicket with his third ball when he uprooted the middle stump of Mohammad Shahzad for a duck.

Lahore pace bowler Salman Mirza (3-16) took all of his wickets inside the powerplay as Islamabad never recovered after crumbling to 33-4. Mirza bowled league-leading run-getter Sahibzada Farhan for 3.

Pakistan Twenty20 captain Salman Ali Agha top-scored with 33 off 26 balls, and Islamabad skipper Shadab Khan made 26 off 14 balls. Nobody else reached double figures.

Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain picked up 3-34 and Afridi bagged the last two wickets to seal the win.

Earlier, Lahore’s faith in rookie opener Mohammad Naeem paid off in the crunch game when he smashed 50 off 25 balls with seven fours and two sixes.

Sri Lankan left-hander Kusal Perera added 61 off 35, and countryman Bhanuka Rajapaksa made a valuable 22. Asif Ali smashed two late sixes to ensure Lahore breached 200.

Lahore won the league in 2022 and 2023 and will meet 2019 winner Quetta Gladiators in the final on Sunday at Lahore.

After 14 years playing Test matches, Virat Kohli is retiring from the national team as one of the immortals of Indian cricket.

“Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life,” Kohli wrote on Monday in his Test retirement social media post.

“There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no-one sees but that stay with you forever,” he added.

Here is all to know about the retirement of India’s hugely impactful batter and captain:

Why is Virat Kohli retiring from Tests?

Kohli’s declining form in the five-day format of cricket may have prompted his decision to call it a day.

After averaging close to 55 at his peak between 2011 and 2019, he could muster a batting average of just 32.56 over the past 24 months.

Kohli’s last Test was in Sydney in January when India lost the match, and with it the series 3-1, to Australia.

Apart from an unbeaten century in the second innings of the first Test in Perth, Kohli managed just 90 runs from eight innings in the five-Test series.

Kohli has previously cited mental fatigue and injuries as other reasons to consider retirement.

“As I step away from this format, it’s not easy – but it feels right. I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for,” Kohli said.

What does Virat #269 mean?

Kohli used #269 in his Instagram post while announcing his retirement on Monday.

The number denotes Kohli as the 269th player who represented India in Test cricket.

What will Kohli do next?

Kohli will continue to play for the Indian cricket team in One-Day International (ODI) matches, but with Test match commitments removed from his schedule, he will now have more time to pursue other interests outside of the game.

The 36-year-old has an expanding business empire in India. He is an active investor in large-scale fitness, hospitality and clothing companies such as Chisel fitness centre, Rage Coffee, sportswear brand One8, WROGN menswear brand and Blue Tribe, to name just a few.

He is also a global brand ambassador for multiple international companies, including Puma, Audi and Vivo.

Unlike many top cricketers, Kohli has not indicated that he will pursue a cricket commentary career, but he has repeatedly talked about giving back to the game in some form, with coaching a possible option in the future.

Once retired, will Kohli move to England?

In December 2024, it was widely reported that Kohli was planning to leave India and settle in London with his wife, actor Anushka Sharma, and their two children, daughter Vamika and son Akaay, according to his childhood cricket coach Rajkumar Yadav, who hinted at the impending move in an interview with Hindi newspaper Dainik Jagran.

What is Kohli’s net worth?

It has been reported that Kohli’s net worth is about 96 million pounds ($126m) from salaries, businesses and endorsement deals.

What are Kohli’s key career Test match stats?

• Kohli leaves with seven double centuries, the most by an Indian player and the fourth most in Test history. Six of them came in an extraordinary 18-month, 33-innings spell from July 2016 to December 2017 – a period in which he was the number one batter in the format.
• The number of Test centuries made by Kohli – only 14 players have more. He also had 31 half-centuries.
• Kohli’s highest Test score was 254, made against South Africa in Pune, India, in October 2019. He finished the innings not out, and it was the last of his double centuries.
• He was captain in 68 Tests, winning 40 of them – the most for an Indian captain and fourth overall in Test cricket.
• The number of Test runs made by Kohli – 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85 – ranks him fourth on the all-time list of India players behind fellow greats Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar.

• Kohli’s total of 692 runs in four Tests is the most by any Indian batsman in a Test series in Australia.

How popular is Kohli?

Married to a Bollywood star, Kohli has 272 million followers on Instagram and 67.8 million on X – making him one of the most followed sports stars on the planet.

His popularity has been a key factor behind cricket’s return to the Olympics at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, the organisers acknowledged last year. 

Reaction to Kohli’s retirement

Greg Chappell, former Australia captain:

“Kohli redefined expectations, challenged conventions, and symbolised the self-assured, unapologetic India of the 21st century,” Chappell said in a piece on ESPN CricInfo.

“His departure leaves not only a statistical void but a seismic shift in energy – for there has never been another quite like him.

“No Indian captain had ever marshalled a team to such commanding overseas dominance. And no batter since Tendulkar had so unequivocally ruled in every continent.”

Jasprit Bumrah, India bowler:

“From making my Test debut under your captaincy to reaching new heights together for our country, your passion and energy will be missed but the legacy you leave behind remains unmatched.”

Sanath Jayasuriya, former Sri Lanka captain:

“While the world celebrates your cricketing brilliance and records, what I admire most is your unwavering commitment to fitness and the sacrifices you’ve made behind the scenes.”

Yashasvi Jaiswal, India’s opening batsman:

“The impact you’ve had on test cricket, and on cricket in India as a whole, is immeasurable. To have had the chance to share the pitch with you – someone I looked up to for so many years – was more than just a privilege; it was a moment I’ll carry with me forever.”

In the end of an era for Indian Test cricket, Virat Kohli follows fellow batting star Rohit Sharma into retirement.

India batsman Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing down the curtain on a sparkling career in the longest format just days after captain Rohit Sharma did the same.

Kohli, who made his debut in 2011 and scored 30 centuries and 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85 over 123 tests, is expected to remain available for one-day internationals.

The 36-year-old quit Twenty20 International immediately after India won their second 20-over World Cup trophy in the West Indies last year.

“It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on,” Kohli posted on Instagram on Monday.

“It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life.

“There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever.”

While Kohli’s final test wrapped up a 3-1 test series defeat by Australia in January, which saw India relinquish the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade, he will be remembered most for his spell as captain between 2014 and 2022.

Kohli won 40 of his 68 tests in charge of India to become the country’s most successful skipper in the format, and sits fourth in the list of captains with the most test victories.

Only Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48) and Steve Waugh (41) won more tests as captains.

India suffered only 17 defeats with Kohli at the helm as he guided the side to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021, when they lost to New Zealand.

He was also part of the team that lost the second World Test Championship final to Australia in 2023.

“I’m walking away with a heart full of gratitude – for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way,” he added.

“I’ll always look back at my test career with a smile.”

India’s next test assignment is a five-match series in England from June 20.