Virat Kohli Ends Sabbatical, Shares Training Photos After 2 Years; Calls Grow to Reconsider Test Retirement

Former India captain Virat Kohli has ended a long social media silence around cricket, sharing pictures from a training session on Instagram for the first time in nearly two years. The post has reignited discussions around his Test retirement, with fans and former players urging him to reconsider his decision.

Kohli, who retired from Test cricket in May 2025 after 123 matches and 9,230 runs, posted images from India’s training camp in Vadodara ahead of the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand. The right-hander had largely stayed away from posting cricket-related content since stepping away from the longest format.

The latest visuals quickly caught attention, prompting former India batter Robin Uthappa to react. Sharing his thoughts on social media, Uthappa suggested that Kohli’s intensity and focus hinted at unfinished business in Test cricket, calling for a return to the whites.

Despite the renewed buzz, Kohli has already made his stance clear. Speaking earlier after a Player of the Match performance in an ODI, he confirmed that he intends to continue playing only one format of the game, firmly ruling out a comeback to Test cricket.

Since retiring from Tests and T20Is, Kohli has delivered strong performances in ODIs, scoring two centuries and two half-centuries in his last four matches. He is now set to feature in the three-match ODI series starting January 11, as India continue preparations for a packed international calendar.

While comparisons with contemporaries like Joe Root and Steve Smith continue, Kohli remains focused on maximising his impact in limited-overs cricket, even as calls for a Test return refuse to fade.