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Former England captain Michael Vaughan and Australia's decorated opener David Warner paid homage to Virat Kohli's illustrious career after the Indian batting mainstay announced his retirement from the Test format.
The world stood silent on Monday morning when days of speculation turned into reality after Virat called it a day on his distinguished career in the red-ball format. The 36-year-old dropped a heart-stirring note on Instagram to confirm that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia was the grand stage for his last dance. Tributes poured in not just from India but all over the globe. Vaughan sang a verse in Virat's praise and couldn't single out any individual who had done as much for Test cricket as the Indian stalwart. "In my time playing and broadcasting, no individual has done as much for Test cricket as Virat Kohli... his passion, energy and commitment to the greatest format has helped so much .. I hope the next generation of Indian players take on his mantle," Vaughan wrote on X. Warner, one of the most illustrious openers to don a Baggy Green, took a trip down memory lane and reminisced about his first encounter with the Indian. Warner thanked Virat for bringing the best out of others. "Absolute legend of our game. I'll never forget our first game against each other when we were young. I thought this guy was a serious competitor and going to be great, someone everyone would admire. You had to fill the shoes of some great players to ever play for India and carry the nation," Warner wrote on Instagram. "Wow, did you not disappoint? Thank you for being you, which got the best out of all of us who competed against you. Enjoy the time now away from the whites. Enjoy the extra family time. Thanks @virat.kohli," he concluded. Virat's exit from red-ball cricket has continued the trend of exodus from the format in the Indian setup. Before the Indian batting bigwigs, the illustrious frontline off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin called it a day on his international career midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia earlier this year. In a career that rejigged the demands of the game, Virat's unparalleled contributions saw him rack up 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties and finish as India's fourth-highest run-getter in the format. (ANI)
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