England Test captain Ben Stokes reveals sending a text to Virat Kohli after the latter announced his decision to retire from the longest format earlier in the month. Kohli played 123 Test matches in his career, scoring 9270 runs.
Star India batter Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier in the month. Speaking on the same, England Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed that he sent a personal message to the Indian batting legend after his announcement. Notably, England will host India for a five-match Test series next month and ahead of that, Stokes noted that he will miss Kohli’s competitiveness and added that he always relished the contest against the India international.
The all-rounder also believes that India will miss Kohli’s fighting spirit and competitiveness in the longest format. To note, Kohli changed the culture of Test cricket in India, bringing in a fitness revolution and also played a vital role in building a strong bowling unit that helped India establish their authority in the format.
“What India will miss is his fighting spirit on the field, his competitiveness, 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. 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,” said Stokes in a video shared by the ECB.
Stokes also recalled Kohli’s contributions, stating that the latter’s cover drive will live long in his memory. He briefly talked about Kohli’s impact in England as well.
“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,” added Stokes.
