Virat Kohli recently retired from Tests after a stellar 14-year career in the longest format.
England Test captain Ben Stokes revealed that he texted Virat Kohli after the veteran India bater had announced his retirement from Test cricket. Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Tests earlier in May, just a week after Rohit Sharma had done the same.
The duo’s retirement from Tests came with over a month to go for India’s tour of England. India are scheduled to play five Tests against England in England from June 20. Edgbaston will host the first Test.
“What India will miss is his fighting spirit on the field, his competitiveness, and his desire to win. He’s made No. 18 his own—we might never see it on the back of another Indian shirt. He’s been pure class for such a long time,” Ben Stokes said in a video uploaded by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
“I texted him saying it’s going to be a shame not playing against him this time. I love playing against Virat. We’ve always relished the contest because we share the same mindset on the field—it’s a battle,” he added.
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Virat Kohli, who also retired from T20Is after the T20 World Cup last year, will continue playing ODIs. Ben Stokes termed the Delhi cricketer as a “different beast” in limited-overs cricket.
“He’s been incredible. He deserves all the accolades. No doubt, there’s been plenty of praise for him in India and here as well. He’s done well in England too. In white-ball formats, he’s been outstanding. One thing I’ll always remember about Virat is how hard he hits the ball through the covers—that cover drive will live long in the memory,” stated the 33-year-old.
Virat Kohli retired from Tests at the age of 36 after having played 123 matches for India. He scored 9230 runs at an average of 46.85, with his highest score of 254 not out coming against South Africa in Pune in 2019.
As Test captain, Virat Kohli led India to the number one spot in Tests from 2016 to 2021. Under his captaincy, India also won the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia and also reached the final of the 2021 World Test Championship (WTC). India, however, lost the WTC final to New Zealand by eight wickets.
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