Virat Kohli has communicated his desire to retire from Test cricket to the BCCI ahead of the big five-match series in England starting June 20, for which he is expected to be a part of the squad. ESPNcricinfo understands that Kohli has been having these conversations with officials of the BCCI for the past month or so.

Even in Australia, which could well be Virat Kohli's swansong, he had scored a hundred in a winning cause - in the first Test in Perth.

Whether the BCCI will succeed in convincing Kohli remains a subject of conjecture, but there is a degree of optimism that the individual chosen to speak with him could wield some influence. The Board is also keen to understand the reasons behind Kohli's desire to step away from Test cricket - a format in which he averaged over 50 until recently.