Has Virat Kohli actually walked away from Test cricket by choice? Did he call time because he hit a personal ceiling, or were there off-field reasons for him to do so? Let's not forget, Kohli played the Ranji Trophy in January. Why would he come back to domestic red-ball cricket after 13 years just to depart four months later? His Australian tour was not great, and if he had retired then, it would have made sense. But to retire now, the eve of the England series, appears strange. It seems Kohli's move may have been triggered by the BCCI as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir. According to reports, Kohli was not pleased with the way India's Test captain Rohit Sharma was treated in Australia. Rohit had skipped the last Test in Sydney, citing that he had made up his mind to opt out. But it was Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar who reportedly instructed him to opt out, according to reports. Earlier in March, BCCI allegedly wished to talk to Gambhir about Rohit's captaincy in the England series. They talked at length about the team and Rohit's captaincy. And then abruptly on May 7, Rohit announced his retirement from Test cricket. Read also: Virat Kohli Retires from Tests After BGT 2024–25 Struggles This created an impression that BCCI might have forced Rohit out. Why not quit then in January itself following a dismal Australia tour? Why come back for Ranji matches only to quit later? Kohli probably did not want to be at the mercy of the selectors. He was playing in England, and the BCCI wanted him to captain too, preparing Shubman Gill to take his place. But having seen the way Rohit was dropped in the middle of the series in Australia, Kohli might have been afraid of the same thing happening to him. Instead of getting dropped, he decided to retire on his own terms.