"The red-ball rests, but your legacy races on" - Bollywood star pens down heartfelt note after Virat Kohli’s Test retirement

Veteran Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty penned down a heartfelt note as former Team India captain Virat Kohli announced his Test retirement on Monday, May 12. The 63-year-old pointed out how the ace batter gave it his all throughout his illustrious red-ball career.

Shetty emphasized that Kohli may have hung up his boots from red-ball cricket, but his legacy will continue to live on. Reacting to the champion cricketer's decision to call it quits from red-ball cricket, the 'Hera Pheri' star wrote on X:

"You didn’t just play Test cricket Virat…You lived it. You Honoured it, breathed fire, wore your heart on your sleeve and your passion like armour. The roar. The grit. The obsession. The Heart. Take a bow, champ. The red-ball rests, but your legacy races on."

Virat Kohli's stint as India's Test captain from 2014 to 2022 is considered the highlight of his red-ball career by many. He led India to 40 Test wins in 68 matches, becoming the most successful Test skipper in the history of Indian cricket.

With the bat, he is the fourth-highest run-getter in the format for India. The right-handed batter hit 30 Test centuries and finished with 9,230 runs across 210 innings.

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"I'll remember the tears you never showed"- Anushka Sharma reflects on husband Virat Kohli's Test career

Virat Kohli's wife Anushka Sharma shared an emotional note on social media following the retirement announcement. The Bollywood star revealed that she had always imagined Kohli returning from international cricket in whites.

Pointing out the challenges that Kohli dealt with behind the scenes in his pursuit of excelling in the gruelling format of Test cricket, Anushka wrote:

"They’ll talk about the records and the milestones — but I’ll remember the tears you never showed, the battles no one saw, and the unwavering love you gave this format of the game. I know how much all this took from you. After every Test series, you came back a little wiser, a little humbler — and watching you evolve through it all has been a privilege.

"Somehow, I always imagined you’d retire international cricket in whites — But you’ve always followed your heart, and so I just want to say my love, you’ve earned every bit of this goodbye."

It is worth mentioning that Virat Kohli earlier retired from T20I cricket following the Men in Blue's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. He is expected to continue playing ODI cricket for the national side.