Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket. He shared the news on Instagram days after Rohit Sharma stepped down from playing the same format. With both players out, India faces a tough tour of England without their top two players.

Kohli shared ‘As I step away from this format, it's not easy—but it feels right.�?Famous names from their other respective sports such as Novak Djokovic and Harry Kane praised Kohli, showing how far his fame reaches beyond cricket.

Kohli’s journey started when he led India to win the Under-19 World Cup in 2008. Soon after, he joined the senior team and made his Test debut in 2011. He became known for his strong attitude, bold style, and passion.

He led India in 68 Test matches and won 40 of them. He scored 9,230 runs in Tests, ranking fourth among Indian batters in history. As Kohli retires from Test cricket, fans hope to see him continue to shine in other formats.

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Virat Kohli, also known as ‘King Kohli�?or ‘Chiku�?is one of the most famous cricketers in the world. He recently retired from Test cricket, so as a way to look back and celebrate his amazing journey, here are some of the best moments and records from his career.

Four-time ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year

To be hailed as the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year, you must perform exceptionally well on the pitch, including performance, impact, and consistency during the year. After that, a vote starts. 

It may seem like a difficult task, but to Virat Kohli, it seemed fairly easy as he became the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year four times. In 2012, 2017, 2018, and 2023, he was awarded for his outstanding performance and overall achievements.

Three awards in a single year

In 2018, Virat Kohli had an amazing year in cricket. He was named the ICC Test Player of the Year for his strong performances in Test matches and the ICC ODI Player of the Year award for doing well in One Day games. The other one is the ICC Cricketer of the Year award, which is given to the best overall player across all formats.

Kohli made history by winning all three big ICC awards in the same year. He became the first player ever to do this. It was a year that proved why many fans and experts call him one of the best players in the world.

India’s highest 8th-wicket partnership in Test history

Virat Kohli was part of India’s best-ever 8th-wicket partnership in a Test match with Jayant Yadav during a very tough game. He took the saying ‘teamwork makes the dream work�?and scored many runs with his teammates. 

Because of this, they were able to get back into the match. This moment showed that with Kohli, they can handle pressure even when the situation is not the best for them. It’s one of the many times he has proved how valuable he is to Indian cricket.

Most player of the series awards across all formats

The cricket superstar also holds the record for the most ‘Player of the Series�?awards across all formats, with 21 titles to his name. This means that in many series—whether in Tests, One Day Internationals (ODIs), or T20 matches—Virat Kohli was chosen as the best player. 

Out of the 21 awards, 11 came from the ODI series, where Kohli is especially known for his chasing ability, sharp focus, and high scores under pressure. Next would be his T20 awards with seven titles and three more in Test cricket. 

India’s most successful Test captain

As both a player and captain, he did well at his job. Virat Kohli led India in 68 Test matches between 2014 and 2022, winning 40 of them. This achievement makes him India's most successful Test captain, alongside other popular names like MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly.

In the global scene, he is also one of the top captains as he ranks fourth in terms of the most Test wins as captain. The others are Graeme Smith (53 wins), Ricky Ponting (48), and Steve Waugh (41).

7th fastest to reach 7,000 Test runs

Currently, Virat Kohli is the 7th fastest cricket player to reach 7,000 Test runs around the world. If that is impressive, his previous record put him in 5th place before going down two ranks. 

Virat Kohli reached 7,000 Test runs in just 138 innings, making him one of the fastest players to achieve this milestone. This gave him the right to sit with the other legends like Sir Donald Bradman, Everton Weekes, Adam Gilchrist, and Alastair Cook.

Reached 5000 Test runs

Virat Kohli also reached a major milestone in his Test career—crossing 5,000 runs. While many already knew him as a great limited-overs player, this achievement told everyone that he is just as good in the longer format.

Scoring that many runs takes a lot of skill and focus. Kohli stayed calm, worked hard, and kept improving. Reaching 5,000 runs was a sign that he wasn’t just a good player, and he is on his way to becoming a legend. 

256 runs in a losing game

Despite knowing they don’t stand a chance anymore, Virat Kohli never gave up. In the 2014 match in Australia, his team was on the losing side, and to win, they needed a miracle. However, not all games have happy endings. 

This didn’t stop Virat Kohli from showing everyone his greatness. Even though they are losing, he still secured an astounding 256-run inning, making it one of the highest individual scores in a losing game. 

Discovering a cricket legend’s legacy

These are just some of the biggest milestones in the journey of Virat Kohli, the pride of Indian cricket. His dedication, hard work, and passion for the sport turned him into a name every cricket fan knows and respects.  

From becoming the first man to take home three ICC awards in a year to lighting up an undying fire even in a losing battle, Virat Kohli proved to the world that he is a true cricket legend.  

He wasn’t just a batter—he was a leader, a fighter, and an example for millions. Whether it was chasing impossible totals or staying calm in high-pressure games, Kohli brought energy and focus every single time. His mere presence made every match he played exciting to watch.

Now that Virat Kohli announced his retirement in Test cricket, his achievements will forever be remembered. By becoming one of the greatest cricket players, he inspired many, young and old alike.

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Bengaluru had a strong start to the Indian cricket league 2025 season with a solid win over Kolkata. Virat Kohli led the order for Bengaluru with an unbeaten 59 runs, while Phil Salt contributed a solid 56 runs.

The two formed a strong partnership, scoring 95 runs for the first wicket. With their stable start, Bengaluru hit their target in just 16.2 overs. New captain Rajat Patidar supported the cause with a quick 34 runs off only 16 balls.

Kolkata began fast, reaching 107 runs for just one wicket in 10 overs. Ajinkya Rahane scored a rapid 56 runs. Yet, Bengaluru’s Krunal Pandya changed the game with his solid attack, taking three wickets for just 29 runs. Kohli’s strong start to this season sends a clear message: Bengaluru is ready to fight for their first Indian cricket league title. 

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India was hailed as the new ICC Champions Trophy title holder. It’s a testament to their skills, efforts, determination, and teamwork. Their path was filled with challenges, showcasing their resilience and commitment. Discover the inspiring story of how they secured the prestigious title and cemented their place in cricket history. 

Group Stage

India vs. Bangladesh

India’s first hurdle in the group stage was Bangladesh. The team’s strong openers posed a challenge, but India overcame the obstacles and dominated Bangladesh, winning by six wickets.

India vs. Pakistan

As longtime rivals, Pakistan went all out, relying on their biggest weapon against India—aggressive fast bowlers. However, India’s experience on the field proved superior, leading to a six-wicket victory.

India vs. New Zealand

New Zealand’s slow start gave India an early advantage, but NZ’s counterattack put IND under pressure. The high-intensity match between the two teams ended with a convincing win for India, who crushed New Zealand by four wickets. 

Semi-finals

India vs. Australia

India started strong, knowing Australia’s team could easily shift the game’s momentum. However, the team’s elite bowlers quickly dismissed India’s openers. Despite their efforts, India’s resilience prevailed, securing a four-wicket victory and a spot in the final round.

Final

India vs. New Zealand

After their previous faceoff in the group stage, India and New Zealand met again—this time for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 title. The grand finale has begun, and the coin has favoured New Zealand, which opted to bat first. 

Captain Kane Williamson of New Zealand aimed to set a defendable target, but India’s disciplined bowling attacks put immense pressure on the Kiwi side.

Both teams had delivered exceptional performances throughout the tournament, but India's all-round performance secured them the championship victory. 

Notable players

1. Virat Kohli

His composure and precision during the semi-final match with Australia and the finale with New Zealand were essential to the team’s success. 

2. Rohit Sharma

The captain’s explosive starts boosted India’s morale and gave the team a sturdy foundation for their next attacks. His century against Bangladesh was crucial to their road to victory. 

3. KL Rahul

KL Rahul's batting skill, wicketkeeping ability, and experience make him a crucial asset to the Indian team in the Champions Trophy 2025.

Watch India as they conquer higher heights

Their impressive display of skill got them to where they are today. The well-deserved ICC Champions Trophy title is a fruit of the team’s hard work. From enduring the struggles they faced in the Group Stage to defeating elite teams in both the semi-finals and final rounds, the journey was not easy, but it was worth it for India. 

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Cricket has been around since the 16th century, which means different standout teams across eras. Dominant teams have been performing throughout the years, shaping the history of a great sport. Exploring the eras and teams can help you get a good grasp of cricket, the quality of the sport, and its best representatives.

Dive into the most influential cricket teams ever. Check them out below:

West Indies (1970s to 1990s)

Every time people talk about dominance in cricket, they never fail to talk about the West Indies from the latter decades of the 20th century. The national team was known for their focus on fast bowlers as they knew they had the power to make every opponent wary when they had to bat. 

They won the first two Cricket World Cups in 1975 and 1979, setting the golden standard for all cricket teams. The West Indies always looked invincible during those times, which made them such a scary team to go against. Their fast bowlers were known for instilling fear in every opposing team.

Bowlers like Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, and Michael Holding were focal points for the Caribbean cricketers. At the same time, they were also superb in the leadership and strategy sense as captains like Viv Richards made the team nigh-unbeatable.

Pakistan (1990s)

Through the eras of cricket, there have been many standout teams. However, they were never the most unpredictable to go against, which made Pakistan such a good team during the 1990s. This was headlined by their 1992 World Cup victory under captain Imran Khan.

Fast bowling was a big part of their game with names like Wasim Akram leading the charge. They were always wild cards, which made it tough to play and game plan against them. That fearless play style has bled into the modern era across different teams, but Pakistan was the starting point for that kind of team.

As one of the most talented groups of cricket athletes, Pakistan’s 1990s era remains iconic. Cricket fans who want to learn about Pakistan's prime, the 1990s is always the era they go back to. They are still a decent team today, but they will have to be lucky to get this kind of success again.

Australia (1999 to 2007)

Ahead of the 21st century, Australia started to establish themselves as the world’s best cricketing country. During these eight years, they earned two separate 16-match winning streaks in Test cricket. They also won three consecutive World Cups, going unbeaten in 2003 and 2007.

Ricky Ponting was the obvious standout player during this era, but he had some help with players like Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, and Matthew Hayden. This Australian era is arguably the pinnacle of competitive cricket, which could be argued against, but it cannot be denied that they were superb during this time.

India (2016 to the present)

Every cricket fan in the world knows that India is well-known for their intense passion for cricket. It has been a top country for a long time as they see cricket as one of the country’s biggest sports. The cricket community in the country is comparable to what you see with football worldwide.

That is the level of passion for cricket from Indians. With that kind of love and passion, it was obvious that more Indian athletes would dive into cricket. They did so and have continued to produce the best talents in the sport’s history.

With names like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and more, India has won plenty of trophies through the years. You can never go wrong with picking India as a top cricketing country as they have unlocked their potential. They continue to have strong players in their development pipeline, and they will keep progressing with their tactics as the years go by.

Cricket will keep evolving

The sport of cricket has produced remarkable moments throughout its history. Every country that has stood out in cricket has earned their way to becoming the best nation in the world. There are now established cricket titans like the aforementioned teams, but there is room for improvement and evolution that could take fresh faces to the top.

Teams like New Zealand, South Africa, and Ireland are mainstays of the cricket tournaments. However, there might be untapped potential that could make them the next nation to become a top team. The future is bright for cricket, and it will only keep growing from here.

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India has always been a powerhouse in cricket, and today’s team remains superb. They are stellar across the squad, but the batsmen are probably their biggest strength. This was evident during their winning run in the 2025 Champions Trophy. With almost every batsman, India had a world-class player, making it such a terrifying opponent. 

The batsmen are always confident

Every time the batsmen step up for India, they showcase the team’s superb dominance. Once they show their confidence, it will be tough for the opponents to chip away at that. Players like Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill are always prepared to show why India is one of the best teams. 

That duo of the veteran and young star helps stabilise the team. That kind of quality proves India is a strong team as they would have players like Kohli and younger players who are determined to showcase their talent.

With the confidence they showed in every game across all the formats, India has one of the best batting lineups. For them, no team is better as they see India the best due to their sheer talent.

India has a good mix of experience and youth

The Indian cricket team is already known for its quality, but that stretches all over the system. They have talented veterans leading the charge, but they also have eager young players who want to prove themselves.

Players like Kohli and Rohit Sharma are still playing for the team despite being older veterans. Despite this, they are still producing at a high level, as they set the tone in the big matches. Kohli’s calm under pressure and Sharma’s aggression are what make them stand out in the team. 

Younger players like Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal represent the new generation. Their youth is superb, especially with how consistent they are with their batting. At the same time, that youthful energy is present when looking at the aggression with their batting. Even if they have world-class bowlers against them, India has dominated, which Gill has spoken about.

He said, ‘The depth in our batting helps free up the batters at the top. We can play freely because we know we have the depth. This is one thing we used to struggle with earlier. We didn't have the batting depth, so the pressure on the top order was more to score more and stay longer. But I think the depth allows us to play more freely�?

India thrives across all three formats

Batters from India have a rare ability to perform well across One-Day International, Test, and T20 cricket formats. Considering they can adjust to any situation, that makes India such a tough matchup. 

There are plenty of countries that can do this, but they cannot reach the same level of success as India has. In Test cricket, they have shown they can be adaptable in tough conditions. Since Test cricket is a long fixture, the batsmen doing this makes them even tougher to play against. 

India has a great balance between skill and smarts when they play ODI cricket. With the veterans leading the way, they know the right time to turn it up and dominate the bowlers they’re playing against. 

In T20, they don’t need to pace themselves as they have multiple power-hitters. India can chase down or set high targets. Aggression is the biggest trait needed in T20 cricket, and the Indian players are ready to keep playing at the highest level.

Game-changing players are present

Across the Indian cricket system, the team has superb players who can be considered match-winners. They can turn games on their head with their batting, which makes the team hard to play and scheme against.

Here are some players who are known for their game-changing qualities: 

• Virat Kohli - Whenever India has a target to hit, Kohli’s batting helps the team to get those numbers. He is a powerful and smart batsman, which makes him a tough matchup for any bowler.
• Shubman Gill - For such a young batsman, Gill is already one of the most composed hitters in the sport. That unsettles the opponent bowlers as they can never throw him off his game. 
• Hardik Pandya - Arguably the most powerful batsman in the squad, he helps India finish matches on a high note. With Pandya’s power, India becomes a tougher matchup as they always put the pressure on.

India will keep improving with time

What makes India a good team is they constantly produce high-level talent that could surpass any team and player around the world. They might have Kohli leading the way for his generation, but he gets quickly followed up by a top talent like Gill. 

India has an embarrassment of riches with their cricket talent since they always find a way to unearth great talents, especially with the batting department. The current crop of players is influential enough to the next generation, so youngsters will still climb the ranks and become the successors.

Gill, in particular, has talked about what it’s like playing alongside some greats from India. He said, ‘This is the best batting lineup that I have been a part of. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli I think are the all-time one-day greats in the world. Rohit, one of the best openers in white-ball cricket, and Virat, I don’t think I need to say anything about him�?

Now that India has continued to get big wins, players like Gill will also help inspire the next generation. It is a production line of top-tier batsman talent, and other countries must do their best to beat them.

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Virat Kohli earned a spot in the ICC Champions Trophy 'Team of the Tournament,' joining five other players in the 12-member team. He scored 218 runs in the match, averaging 54.50. Kohli also made a big impact with an unbeaten century against Pakistan and a crucial 84 in the semi-final against Australia.

India won the Champions Trophy for the third time by beating New Zealand by four wickets in the final. This victory adds to their 2002 and 2013 titles. Along with Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul also made the team. Iyer led India with 243 runs, while Rahul finished with a strong average of 140.

New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra topped the run charts with 263 runs. He played a key role in the country’s success, scoring 112 against Bangladesh and 108 in the semi-final against South Africa. Ravindra teamed up with Afghan player Ibrahim Zadran, who scored 177 against England.

The team also includes New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner as captain, who took nine wickets during the match. Other standout players are Mohammed Shami from India and Varun Chakravarthy.

This year’s tournament showcased exciting talent from many teams.

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A record-breaking performance by the Indian star batter Virat Kohli was seen last Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in a Champions Trophy 2025 match against Australia at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. 

Kohli broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record of having the most 50-plus scores in the history of ICC ODI tournaments. Kohli, now on top with his 24 50-plus scores, outdone cricket star Tendulkar’s 23 (2nd) and Rohit Sharma’s 18 (3rd). 

India versus Australia

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals match with India and Australia ended in India’s favour as the game ended 267/6 - 264. India won by 4 wickets and 11 balls to spare, making it a close match between the two teams. 

During the match, Virat Kohli scored 84 runs, making him the top scorer of the game. Followed by Shreyas Iyer’s 45 and KL Rahul’s 42. 

On the Australian side, Steve Smith managed 73 runs, followed by Alex Carey, carrying another 61. Travis Head also did 39 runs, making him the third scorer for Australia. Despite their efforts, they still lost the game.

This win secured India’s straight shot to the Champions Trophy final, and their leading opponents will either be New Zealand or South Africa, which are both formidable teams. 

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