Kane Williamson was caught off-guard by Virat Kohli's Test retirement, makes honest revelation: 'Gosh, you're not...'

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Virat Kohli’s decision to step away from Test cricket in May this year brought the curtain down on one of the most illustrious careers in the format’s modern era. Amassing 9230 runs in 123 matches, Kohli was, for the better part of a decade, a defining presence in red-ball cricket. His name was etched into the celebrated ‘Fab Four’ batting club alongside Kane Williamson, Joe Root, and Steve Smith, a quartet that set benchmarks for consistency and quality in the longest format. Virat Kohli (L) and Kane Williamson during the WTC Final in 2021(Getty Images)

But the past couple of years saw Kohli’s returns dip, with the 2024/25 season marking an unmistakable low: just one century and no fifties in three series, including two at home against Bangladesh and New Zealand, and another away in Australia.

Yet, Kohli’s Test retirement sent ripples through the cricket world, not least among his peers. Williamson, a long-time contemporary and rival, admitted that the news even caught him off guard. For him, Kohli’s ability to bow out on his own terms, despite the dip in form, spoke volumes about his legacy.

“You never really consider it and you do see some of your opponents and mates making some of these decisions and you think ‘gosh, it has been a while’, and you’re not getting younger,” Williamson told Independent.

“It’s a reality at some stage. For someone like Virat, who made that decision to go out on his own terms and do what he’s done for the game, that’s amazing. That’s so special.

“Everyone was caught by surprise because you feel like it will never happen, but it does. I’m more aware of that than most – and that’s great,” the former Kiwi captain stated.

Kohli only in ODIs

Having already retired from the T20Is after the T20 World Cup win last year, Kohli is only available for selection in ODIs, where India, at least for now, don't play until October later this year. It was reported by PTI earlier this week that the board will have a conversation with both, Kohli and Rohit, on their international future, keeping in mind the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.

Like Kohli, Rohit too has retired from T20Is and Tests.

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