Sports Desk:

Virat Kohli has reportedly informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of his decision to retire from Test cricket, with top officials urging the star batter to reconsider. The 36-year-old’s communication to the board comes ahead of a high-stakes tour of England later this year.

According to The Indian Express, Kohli has made up his mind about stepping away from the longest format.

“He has made up his mind and has informed the board that he is moving on from Test cricket. The BCCI has urged him to rethink as the crucial England tour is coming up. He is yet to respond to the request,” a source told the newspaper.

The news comes shortly after India captain Rohit Sharma, another pillar of the batting unit, announced his Test retirement. The duo had earlier ended their T20I careers together following India’s triumph in the ICC T20 World Cup last year.

Kohli, who made his Test debut in 2011, has played 123 matches for India, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85. However, his red-ball form has seen a noticeable decline in recent years — he has scored 1,990 runs in his last 37 Tests with only three centuries. On the most recent tour of Australia, he managed an average of just 23.75 across five matches.