New Delhi: Former India captain Virat Kohli has put an end to all the chatter about his potential comeback to Test cricket. Speaking at a brand promotional event on Sunday, June 21, the 37-year-old made it clear that his retirement from the longest format of the game is final and absolute.

The speculation picked up again during the launch of his new sports apparel line. The host of the event, Danish Sait, pointed out a clever marketing detail that a pair of red shoes from Kohli’s brand was priced at exactly Rs 9,230. This was a deliberate tribute to Kohli’s final career tally of 9,230 Test runs and after that Sait jokingly asked if Kohli would consider coming out of retirement to score more runs, which would force the brand to raise the shoe price and make more money.

Kohli laughed off the joke but gave a direct answer that left no room for doubt. He stated that he would rather undersell the product than return to red-ball cricket, confirming he is officially finished with the format. “I would rather undersell. I am done with it,” Kohli said with a smile, in a clip that quickly went viral on social media.

All the talks and rumors that were being made that he spoke to this person, he spoke to that person, and that Virat Kohli was going to return to Test cricket were answered by Virat Kohli himself. When he was asked about Test cricket, he simply said, “I am done with it, thank…

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) June 21, 2026

The star batter had completely caught the cricketing world off guard when he walked away from Test cricket midway through the IPL season last year. It was a surprising move especially since he had recently returned to domestic cricket by playing in the Ranji Trophy for the first time in twelve years and everyone expected him to tour England.

He finally shared the reasoning behind his sudden exit earlier this year on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru podcast. In a candid chat, Kohli admitted he no longer wanted to play in an environment where he felt he constantly had to prove his worth despite his massive legacy. He emphasised that he only wants to play where his value is mutually respected.

Kohli is now entirely focused on managing his body to prolong his career in ODIs, having already retired from both Tests and T20Is. He recently picked up a hamstring injury during the 2026 IPL final, where he helped RCB secure their second successive title, which forced him to miss the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan that wrapped up on Saturday.

While Kohli has been named in the 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series in England this July but his travel depends entirely on a fitness clearance test at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Kohli hopes to stay fit enough to anchor Men in Blue’s top order all the way through to the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.