Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali lavished praise on Virat Kohli as he announced his Test retirement on May 12 ahead of India's upcoming five-Test match series. Moeen reckons that Kohli's retirement is a huge blow for Indian Cricket. After a lot of reports, the Test Great took his social media to officially announce his retirement ahead of the upcoming five-Test match series against England.
The five-Test match series between India and England is scheduled to start form June 20 and this will the first red-ball assignment for the Men in Blue after a humiliating 3-1 defeat in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. \
Speaking to Sky Sports, Moeen said, "It is a massive blow to Test cricket. Virat was the one pioneer, the one guy in Test cricket who always pushed the format. He has done so much for the game, especially in India. I think after Sachin, he was the guy everybody came to watch. He filled out stadiums."
Moeen lauded Kohli's leadership and competitiveness in the whites. Moeen said, "He had an amazing record, was a brilliant player to watch -- very competitive and a brilliant captain. The style he played with inspired many. It is a big blow not just for India, but for the game."
Moeen, who is the first spinner to dismiss Kohli on a duck in a Test match, believes that Rohit Sharma and Virat's retirement is a massive boost for England.
"Two top players, who have been to England a few times on tour, so they have the experience. I remember Rohit playing really well the last time. The character they have, the leaders they are -- both of them have captained India in Test cricket -- so yeah, a massive loss for the team," he concluded.
Kohli is arguably one of the best captains to lead India in Tests. Under his captaincy, the Men in Blue won 41 matches in 68 outings. Kohli is the first-ever Indian captain to win a Test series on Australian soil. Kohli ended his Test career as the fourth-highest run-getter in the longest format of the game behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), Rahul Dravid (13,265 runs) and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 runs). He scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties in 210 innings and the best score of 254* in his 123 Test outings. Batting legend Kohli also holds the record for most Test runs as an Indian captain with 5,864 runs in 68 matches (113 innings) at an excellent average of 54.80, including 20 centuries and 18 fifties.