“Family Over Cricket” — Virat Kohli Hints at Reason Behind Shocking Test Retirement Before England Tour

Virat Kohli’s sudden decision to retire from Test cricket has taken everyone by surprise, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

With a big five-match Test series against England starting soon, the board and chief selector Ajit Agarkar reportedly requested Kohli to think carefully before making a final call.

But the star batter had already made up his mind, and the BCCI understood they couldn’t stop India’s most prolific player from walking away.

Kohli first approached the board on May 7, expressing his wish to announce his retirement on social media. However, with Operation Sindoor and the military conflict with Pakistan underway, BCCI officials asked him to wait a few days.

After the ceasefire, Kohli informed the board and selectors that he would go ahead with his decision — which he made public on Monday.

While the timing may feel shocking to fans, the reports from The Indian Express has stated that the reason behind Virat Kohli’s retirement is simple: he wants to spend more time with his family.

Over the last year, Kohli has often flown to England, where his wife and children have been staying. He missed the home Test series against England last year for the birth of his second child and even travelled to England before the South Africa tour in December 2023 due to a family emergency.

After India’s T20 World Cup win in 2024, Kohli took part in the victory parade in Mumbai but immediately caught a flight to England to reunite with his family the same night.

Sources reveal that the BCCI’s rule limiting family time on long tours, which was enforced after India’s 1-3 loss in Australia didn’t sit well with the former captain.

Kohli himself has spoken about how much his family means to him. At an RCB event, he said, “The role of family is very difficult to explain to people… how grounding it is to come back to your family every time something intense happens.” He added that being with family helps him recover faster from on-field disappointments and brings normalcy to his life.

“For me, that is a day of immense pleasure. I won’t miss any opportunity to go out and spend time with my family whenever I can,” Kohli had said.