Ben Stokes reveals his text message to Virat Kohli after the latter’s Test retirement

England Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed that he texted the Indian talismanic batter Virat Kohli after he announced his Test retirement ahead of the five-match England tour, starting on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds.

For the unversed, Kohli announced his retirement from the longest format of the game on May 12, shocking the cricketing fraternity and his fans. Notably, Team India is scheduled to play a five-match Test series in England in the new WTC cycle from June to August this year.

“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 Ben Stokes in a video released by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

It’s important to note that Kohli's retirement followed after Indian Test captain Rohit Sharma’s retirement from this format. Without senior batters Rohit and Kohli, it would be interesting to watch how the young batting line-up fares against the English bowling line-up in seaming conditions.

Furthermore, Stokes hailed Kohli for his contribution to the game of cricket, adding that we might never see anyone from India sporting the No. 18 jersey again.

“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,” Stokes added.

Moreover, the English Test skipper also hailed Kohli for his exceptional skills in limited-overs cricket, praising him as a different beast in white-ball formats. He asserted that Kohli’s cover drives are always memorable for him.

“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,” he concluded.

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