Shashi Tharoor pens special post for immortal Virat Kohli's Test retirement

Shashi Tharoor's emotional tribute to Virat Kohli captured the collective sentiment of fans, expressing admiration for the Test legend while lamenting the suddenness of his retirement without a farewell match on home soil.

In Short

• Tharoor praised Kohli’s Test legacy as bold and unmatched
• He recalled meeting Kohli early in his legendary journey
• Kohli ended his Test career with 9,230 runs overall

Virat Kohli’s sudden retirement from Test cricket has left fans and admirers in shock—and among them is politician and cricket enthusiast Shashi Tharoor. Reacting to the announcement, Tharoor shared a heartfelt message calling Kohli “immortal” and expressing sadness over the abrupt end to his red-ball journey.

Via his social media account, Tharoor recalled the only time he met Kohli early in his career. He said it was already clear back then that the young batter was on his way to becoming one of the game’s greats. Tharoor praised Kohli’s overall cricketing journey but admitted that he admired him the most in the Test format. Tharoor seemed disappointed by the timing of the decision. He expressed regret that Kohli didn’t get a farewell Test at home and questioned whether the 36-year-old had called time too soon, especially when Indian cricket fans and the team still “needed him.”

"The only time I met the immortal @imVkohli face-to-face, early in his career, when he was well on his way to becoming the legend we have all admired. I’ve watched him bat in various formats and admired him most in Tests. I’m truly sad to see him go so early, so unexpectedly, without even the joy of a farewell Test match at home. Why, Virat? We all still need you!" Tharoor's post read.

Kohli made his Test debut in 2011 and played his final match earlier this year against Australia at the SCG. He retires with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and seven double hundreds—an Indian record. He also remains India’s most successful Test captain, leading the team to 40 wins in 68 matches.

Kohli’s announcement came just five days after Rohit Sharma also stepped away from the red-ball format, marking the end of an era in Indian cricket. The move comes just weeks before India begin their new World Test Championship cycle in England on June 20. According to reports, Kohli had already informed the BCCI of his plans, and efforts were made behind the scenes to convince him to continue, especially for the England tour.