Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier today (May 12) with a post on his official Instagram handle. He ended his 14-year illustrious career in the format with 9230 runs at an average of 46.85 with 30 centuries and 31 fifties to his name. His last century in the longest form of the game came in Perth against Australia last year in November.
The former India skipper didn't have a great time, in arguably his favourite format, in the last 3-4 years. He averaged around 55 at one stage in the whites for India, but his downfall in Tests began during the COVID-19 period, and Kohli never really returned to his best. Before he hit the rough patch, Kohli was at the peak of his powers till November 2019 as he averaged a stunning 54.97 after 84 Tests with 7202 runs to his name and had scored 27 tons, to go with 22 fifties.
In the next 39 Test matches, his average came down to 46.85, and the man could only muster 2028 runs in 69 innings at an average of 30.72, adding only four tons to his tally.
What about Kohli's Test stats compared to Fab 4?
Virat Kohli's peak in Test cricket arrived well before the likes of Joe Root and Kane Williamson. Steve Smith matched him toe to toe during that period, but the 12-month ban due to the sandpaper gate overshadowed his brilliance in the format. However, when we compare the numbers of Fab 4 in 2025, Kohli has fallen way behind his contemporaries. Root is at the peak of his powers in Test cricket in the last five years while Williamson has never really been out of form in the whites.
Smith's has been on and off over the last couple of years, but his form has never been a concern for Australia in Tests. When it comes to runs, averages and centuries, Kohli ranks last among Fab 4 and a lot of it has to do with his downfall in the format since November 2019.
Here's how Kohli finished in Tests compared to Fab 4
| Fab 4 Players | Matches | Runs | Average | Hundreds | Fifties |
| Virat Kohli | 123 | 9230 | 46.85 | 30 | 31 |
| Kane Williamson | 105 | 9276 | 54.88 | 33 | 37 |
| Steve Smith | 116 | 10271 | 56.74 | 36 | 41 |
| Joe Root | 152 | 12972 | 50.87 | 36 | 65 |
Mind you, none of the other batters in Fab 4 have retired from Test cricket yet. It is certain that Virat Kohli, who was once untouchable in the debate of Fab 4, will remain at the bottom forever when compared to his contemporaries. Only if his form hadn't dropped after November 2019, the 36-year-old, today, would've stepped down from the format with some unreal numbers.