File image of Virat Kohli.© AFP
The former United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has expressed disappointment that fans would not be able to see Virat Kohli in action on the Test tour of England as the former India captain has announced his retirement. Congratulating Kohli on his illustrious career in red-ball cricket, Sunak wrote that the 36-year-old batter has been a legend of the game and will be missed by fans on India’s upcoming tour of England. “Sad we won’t get to see @imVkohli one last time this summer. He has been a legend of the game: a superb batsman, an astute captain, and a formidable competitor who always understood the true value of Test cricket,” wrote Sunak, the first Prime Minister of Indian origin for the country who invented cricket, in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Sunak is a cricket enthusiast and has enjoyed his interactions with cricketers during his time as British Prime Minister. In March 2023, he hosted the T20 World Cup-winning England men’s team at 10 Downing Street and also played an impromptu garden cricket game with them.
Sad we won’t get to see @imVkohli one last time this summer.
He has been a legend of the game: a superb batsman, an astute captain and a formidable competitor who always understood the true value of Test cricket.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) May 12, 2025
During his tenure as British Prime Minister from October 25, 2022, to July 5, 2024, Sunak announced an investment of 35 million Pounds in grassroots cricket facilities and widening access to the sport within state schools as part of the British government’s move to get one million more young people physically active by 2030.
Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, pulling the curtains on a 14-year-long tenure during which he played 123 Tests, scoring 9230 runs at a batting average of 46.85 and posting 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. He had a top score of 254 not out. Kohli had led India in 68 Tests, winning 40 of them, which makes him the most successful captain of the Indian team.
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