"Sheer passion for the big moments" - PBKS assistant coach lavishes praise on Virat Kohli post latter's Test retirement amid IPL 2025

Former Australia wicketkeeper and current Punjab Kings (PBKS) assistant coach Brad Haddin has claimed that Virat Kohli's passion for the big moments fascinated the Australians. The ace Indian batter announced his retirement from the format earlier this month, drawing the curtains on a decorated 14-year-long career.

Haddin opined that Test cricket was Kohli's best format and hailed him as a 'once-in-a-generation' player. The cricketer-turned-coach also pointed out how the 36-year-old revolutionized the game by setting the bar high with his fitness.

The cricketer-turned-coach made these comments during an interview with the Times of India. Reacting to Kohli's Test retirement, Haddin said:

"It was just his willingness to compete. Kohli was a once-in-a-generation player and he changed the way the game was played with how he presented himself physically. The thing that drew Australians to Kohli was his sheer passion for the big moments."

"He enjoyed coming up against teams like Australia, South Africa and England when they were at their peak and it brought the best out of him. He's going to be sorely missed in Test cricket. I think that was his greatest format, where he had the biggest impact," he added.

Virat Kohli's Test legacy includes a memorable captaincy rein, which saw him become the most successful red-ball skipper in the history of Indian cricket. Under his leadership, the side clinched 40 wins in 68 Tests.

He is currently the country's fourth-highest run-getter in Test cricket, finishing his career with a tally of 9,230 runs across 210 innings. He has 30 centuries and 31 fifties to his name in the format.

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"It was about putting your own ego aside" - Aaron Finch hails Virat Kohli for putting team ahead of his personal goals during captaincy tenure

Former Australia captain Aaron Finch reserved high praise for Virat Kohli's leadership style. He pointed out that India could have produced flat wickets for home Test assignments but Kohli decided to go with what was best for his team.

Speaking on JioHotstar amid the ongoing IPL 2025, Finch said (via India Today):

"What really stands out to me about Virat's leadership is that you can look at his numbers now and say they're not as good as they were five years ago. But he was playing on some wickets in India that were spinning hugely from day one. It was about putting your own ego aside to say, 'What's the best thing for my team right now to win a Test match against this opposition?"

"They could have rolled out some flat wickets and said, 'I'm going to cash in on my own runs and make sure that my record stacks up with some of the all-time greats,' but he put his own ego aside and said, 'I want what's best for my team to win this match'," he added.

Virat Kohli will be seen in action on Friday, May 23, when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) face SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, in IPL 2025. The veteran batter has amassed 505 runs across 11 innings at a strike rate of 143.46 so far this season.