Virat Kohli retires: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Wimbledon pay tribute to India's star batter | See photos

Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday (May 12). Many cricketing greats and legends from other sports including Sachin Tendulkar, AB de Villiers, Conor Anthony McGregor, and Novak Djokovic lavished praises on the star batter.

Football clubs Manchester City and Bayern Munich and Wimbledon's official account also shared a heartwarming tribute to the 36-year-old.

Manchester City's post

Manchester City shared a picture of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma holding Man City Jerseys. "All the best in your retirement from Test cricket," the club mentioned in the Instagram post.

Bayern Munich's post

Bayern Munich, Bundesliga champions also paid tribute to Virat Kohli on their social media handle. It posted a photo of Kohli along with their striker, Harry Kane. "A true great of the game. Congratulations on an absolutely legendary career," the caption read.

Wimbledon's post

Wimbledon's official account also shared an appreciation post for Kohli. “Class recognises class,” the caption read.

Virat Kohli retirement

After Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli too announced his retirement during the one-week break of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 matches. He announced his retirement ahead of the announcement of the Test squad for the upcoming England tour.

Virat shared announced his retirement on Instagram by sharing an emotional post.

Virat Kohli's retirement ahead of the WTC cycle

The retirement of Virat Kohli marks a significant turning point as Team India is gearing up for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2025-27. With a new era on the horizon, head coach Gautam Gambhir is expected to focus on including youngsters in the Test squad, aiming to bring a new perspective to the format which would be different from the star culture.

Virat Kohli’s Test Career Stats

Virat Kohli made his Test debut in the year 2011 against West Indies. Since then, he has played 123 matches in the Test format, accumulating 9230 runs, with his highest individual score being an unbeaten 254. He has smashed 30 centuries and 31 fifties in 210 innings, marking a highly successful career in the red-ball cricket.

Among all opponents, he has scored the most runs against Australia. He has amassed 2232 runs against them. The year 2018 stood out as his best, with the right-hander getting 1322 runs, the most he scored in a single calendar year.