Virat Kohli unintentionally reveals reason behind retirement from Test cricket during RCB's IPL Qualifier 1; fans agree

What a sight Virat Kohli was last night in Mullanpur, he was right there, getting in the faces of the opposition and celebrating every Punjab Kings wicket like it was his own. It was a joy to witness vintage Kohli in action, but it also brought a tinge of sadness. Sadness because we won’t get to see that in Test cricket anymore. With just one match left before he takes a break for at least four months, his retirement from Test cricket means we won’t see him back on the field until October 19, when India heads to Australia for a limited-overs tour featuring three ODIs and five T20Is.

It’s been 18 days, and the reality that Kohli will never play Tests for India again is still hard to wrap my head around. But if you watched last night’s IPL clash between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings, the reason became clear. That pesky ball outside off-stump. Back in early April, Kohli reached out to the BCCI and its chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, to announce his desire to retire from Test cricket. While the decision sparked plenty of discussions, at 36, it’s understandable why India’s most successful Test captain would make such a choice.

As tough as it is to accept, Kohli inadvertently revealed the reason behind his decision. He scored a quick 12 runs—starting with a boundary off his first ball—but then fell to a ball outside off-stump from Josh Hazlewood, caught by Josh Inglis. Fans were understandably frustrated to see Kohli, who has struggled with this issue in Test cricket, succumb to it in a white-ball format as well. This time, during the IPL against Jamieson, many saw it as the ultimate reason for his decision to step away from Test cricket.

Jamieson had famously troubled Kohli when they faced off in the 2021 ICC World Test Championship final.

New owner of Kohli : Jamieson ??
Blud owned him in most important times pic.twitter.com/NKxFvSbEeF

— Supremist (Kamal H ka fan) (@CSKlassen8467) May 29, 2025

This is the reason why Kohli retired from Test Cricket? pic.twitter.com/Wz9C6lmN56

— TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy) May 29, 2025

#RCBvsPBKS
Virat Kohli getting out on the outside off ball while Kyle Jamieson is bowling... Wait I've seen this before  pic.twitter.com/yBQYc5j13x

— Abdullah (@abdul_tweets03) May 29, 2025

Fir vahi outside off 5th stump wali ball pe edge laga diya. Kohli saab this is white ball pic.twitter.com/OqE7rZ7ODD

— Kohlights (@4th_stump_edged) May 29, 2025

Kohli has been dismissed over 20 times by balls outside off stump in Test cricket, including all his eight dismissals in Australia. In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he scored 100 not out in the second innings of the Perth Test but got out to slips or wicketkeeper on other occasions. His final dismissal in Test cricket saw him frustrated, as he smashed his bat on his pads after edging a ball to Steve Smith.

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