Indian cricket veteran Virat Kohli made the Test cricket retirement formal, closing an impressive 14-year run that transformed the country's approach to the longest form of the game.

In a heartfelt Instagram post on Monday, the 36-year-old former captain looked back on his life-changing Test career, saying, "It's 14 years now since I originally donned the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I could never have dreamed the journey this version of the game would see me embark on. It's tested me, moulded me, and taught me lessons that I'll carry for life."

Kohli's news follows close on the heels of his fellow cricketer Rohit Sharma also bidding adieu to the red-ball format, and marks a major generational change in Indian cricket.

Kohli scored 9,230 runs from 123 games in his Test career, with 30 centuries, making him fourth in India's all-time list of Test run-scorers, behind the greats Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.

As captain between 2014 and 2022, Kohli took India to 40 wins out of 68 Tests, the highest by an Indian captain. India reached the No. 1 position in Test cricket under his captaincy and won historic series, such as their first-ever Test series win in Australia in the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Kohli's attacking style and never-say-die spirit rejuvenated India's pace battery and brought a new level of competitiveness to the team. His performances, particularly against strong teams like Australia, where he had nine centuries, were crucial in India's success abroad.

The cricket fraternity has reacted with an avalanche of tributes, with fans and past players alike paying homage to Kohli's enormous contributions.Hashtags like #EndOfAnEra were also trending on social media, a reflection of the shared feeling of respect and nostalgia.
While Kohli is on a break from Test cricket, he remains engaged in One Day Internationals and plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League.

With India poised to start its next Test series in England, the losses of veterans Kohli and Sharma mark the end of an era. Now the responsibility falls upon the newer generation, and young aspirations such as Shubman Gill would seek to draw lessons from what their elders did.

Virat Kohli's decision to quit Test cricket is not just the end of a personal journey, but a turning point in the history of Indian cricket, the end of an era of which has been marked by passion, determination, and record-breaking supremacy.