Virat Kohli has officially brought the curtain down on his legendary Test career, and with it, one of the most passionate chapters in Indian cricket comes to an end. The announcement came via an emotional Instagram post on May 12, but his final walk in whites came months earlier, at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India were playing the final Test of the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a series they eventually lost. Kohli’s last appearance in the longest format wasn’t the fairytale fans would have hoped for. Also READ: Ex-England cricketer blasts ECB for letting Bethell stay in IPL In the first innings, he battled hard for a gritty 17 off 69 balls. But in what turned out to be his last ever Test innings, Kohli fell for just 6 runs off 12 deliveries, dismissed by Australia’s Scott Boland. India went on to lose the match by six wickets, and Kohli’s walk back to the pavilion—head down, bat tucked under his arm—was the final frame of a career that inspired millions. Virat Kohli’s last test innings ball bay ball End of an amazing career pic.twitter.com/4CYOq40ilQ — Honey (@stevensmithclub) May 12, 2025 Virat Kohli last walk in his favourite format 💔 pic.twitter.com/brj66iSuSw — ' (@viratkohli_un) May 12, 2025 Kohli’s final Test season was far from his best. In 19 innings, he managed only 382 runs at an average of 22.47, with just one century to his name. His 14-year journey in Test cricket has seen some of the most intense battles, however, his last season didn't reflect his greatness in the format. Also READ: Virat Kohli announces retirement from Test cricket Kohli announces his Test retirement via Social Media Kohli officially announced his retirement from the longest format on May 12 with an emotional Instagram post. In his heartfelt note, Kohli admitted that walking away from the longest format wasn’t an easy decision, but it was the right time. “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… #269, signing off.” Across 123 Tests, Kohli amassed 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 hundreds and 31 fifties. He also redefined India’s identity in red-ball cricket, instilling an aggressive, fearless approach while taking the fitness standards to the next level.