The cricketing world was sad when Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from captaincy just a few days ago. Now, they have another heartbreaking shock ahead of India’s test series against England. After weeks and weeks of confusion and controversy, Virat Kohli finally announced his retirement from Test Cricket.
Kohli announced his retirement in an Instagram post. He stated that the decision was very hard for him to make. The King admitted that he had learned a lot through the successes and failures in Test cricket. Kohli further added that it was indeed a tough decision to step away, but he ultimately felt it was the right time. He thanked every player who played with him throughout his career.
Since making his debut in 2011, Kohli has led his team to world domination in Test cricket, including a historic triumph in 2018–19. He played 123 matches in the red-ball format and scored 9,230 runs with an average of 46.85. Kohli has scored 30 centuries and is considered one of the greatest batsmen and captains to ever play Test cricket.
Kohli’s performance in the last Test series was quite underwhelming. He scored only one hundred in Australia. Unfortunately for all of his fans, he will end his career just under 10,000 runs, which was once considered a formality. The cricketing world will never forget his contributions to India in the red-ball format.
Cricketing personalities from present and past sent heartwarming messages to Virat Kohli
Kohli’s retirement from Tests didn’t just shock millions of cricket fans all over the world; many players from the past and present sent him wishes with special messages on social media. Gautam Gambhir called him a man with a lion’s passion. He further referred to him by his nickname, Cheeku, and said that he would miss him.
Suresh Raina took to X and stated that although he was sad to see him leave like this, he had no doubt that Kohli’s legacy would live on. The left-hander also said that his passion and leadership had inspired millions of fans. He had nothing but respect for his former teammate. Here are some of the top reactions from cricketers:
Kohli’s former RCB teammate, AB de Villiers, sent him a message on X. He offered his best wishes and stated that Kohli’s skill and determination had inspired him greatly. Harbhajan Singh appreciated his batting in Test cricket. Yuvraj Singh said that Virat Kohli gave everything on the pitch and that Test cricket brought the fighter back in him. Many more players wished him good luck on his journey after red-ball cricket.