"Without even the joy of a farewell Test match" - Congress MP pays emotional tribute to Virat Kohli after Test retirement [In Picture]

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor paid an emotional tribute to Virat Kohli after his Test retirement. Kohli announced his decision to retire from the format on Monday, May 12.

Shashi Tharoor put up a picture of himself from the past when he met Virat Kohli on his X (formerly Twitter) handle. He stated that it was the only time he met Kohli face-to-face, and back then, the cricketer was on his way to becoming a legend. He even called Kohli 'immortal'.

He expressed his disappointment at Kohli retiring from Tests earlier than everyone expected him to, and making an unexpected announcement without even playing a farewell Test.

"The only time I met the immortal @imVkohli face-to-face, early in his career, when he was well on his way to becoming the legend we have all admired. I’ve watched him bat in various formats and admired him most in Tests. I’m truly sad to see him go so early, so unexpectedly, without even the joy of a farewell Test match at home. Why, Virat? We all still need you!," he wrote in his post.

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Virat Kohli's Test retirement before the upcoming England series

India are set to tour England for a five-match Test series in June this year. With Virat Kohli announcing his Test retirement right ahead of the crucial series, it leaves an important position to be filled at number four in the batting line-up.

Moreover, with Rohit Sharma also announcing his retirement from Tests recently, the team will be without the two senior stalwarts during the England tour. It remains to be seen who will replace the two in the batting order at the top and in the middle.

Virat Kohli played 123 career Test matches. The right-hander, who made his Test debut against the West Indies back in 2011, scored 9230 runs overall at an average of 46.85 with 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries to his name in the format.

His last Test came in the fifth match of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series in Sydney, which also became his final Test series eventually.