South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock has announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect.
The sudden revelation came only hours after he was beaten as part of the South African team in their first Test against India.
De Kock was already expected to leave the team for the remaining two games of the series, as he welcomes his first child into the world.
However, it was anticipated that he would return to the Proteas afterwards.
In a statement, the 29-year-old explained that family is now his priority.
"This is not a decision that I have come to very easily," De Kock said.
"I have taken a lot of time to think about what my future looks like and what needs to take priority in my life now that (wife) Sasha and I are about to welcome our first child into this world and look to grow our family beyond that.
"My family is everything to me and I want to have the time and space to be able to be with them during this new and exciting chapter of our lives.
"I love Test cricket and I love representing my country and all that it comes with.
"I've enjoyed the ups and the downs, the celebrations and even the disappointments, but now I've found something that I love even more."
De Kock made his Test debut for South Africa in 2014 and has scored 3,300 runs at an average of 38.82.
In 54 matches, he has notched up six centuries and 22 fifties with the bat, along with claiming 232 dismissals behind the sticks - 221 catches and 11 stumpings.
The South African made headlines in October when he refused to take a knee before a T20 World Cup match against the West Indies, and later withdrew from the squad.
All players had been directed to take part in the anti-racism gesture by Cricket South Africa.
He later returned to the team for their next game against Sri Lanka, where he took the knee before play.
Following his retirement, there are now only three players in the current South African squad who have made Test centuries - current captain Dean Elgar, Temba Bavuma, and Aiden Markram.
Whilst de Cock's Test career has come to a close, he has stated that he will continue representing his country in the shorter formats of cricket.
"This is not the end of my career as a Protea, I'm fully committed to white-ball cricket and representing my country to the best of my ability for the foreseeable future," he said.
"See you in the ODIs and T20s."
