Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, has praised Virat Kohli‘s relentless determination, highlighting that India will undoubtedly feel his absence in the upcoming five-match Test series in the UK, which begins on 20 June. After the retirement of both Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the young Shubman Gill will take charge of the Indian team for the series against England.

In a video released by England Cricket, Stokes shared his thoughts on what India will miss after Virat Kohli’s retirement. He said, “India will really miss his fighting spirit on the field, his competitive nature, and his drive to win. He’s truly made number 18 his own, hasn’t he? It will undoubtedly feel different not seeing that number on the back of an Indian shirt. However, his contribution to the team has been immense over such a long period, making him a true standout player.”

Stokes also mentioned that he reached out to Kohli after his retirement, saying, ‘I told him it’s going to be disappointing not to face him anymore because I truly enjoy the competition with Virat. We both thrive when playing against each other because we share that same mindset on the field,” he added.

Kohli is the fourth-highest run scorer for India in Test cricket, having scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85 across 123 matches. His impressive tally includes 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries.

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