Ben Stokes Reflects on Virat Kohli's Impact Ahead of Test Series
Stokes Acknowledges Kohli's Absence
Ben Stokes, the captain of the England cricket team, has expressed his admiration for Virat Kohli's competitive spirit, noting that India will feel his absence in the upcoming five-match Test series against England. With both Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepping away from Test cricket, the onus now falls on the younger players, particularly Shubman Gill, to lead the Indian squad.
Stokes remarked, "India will certainly miss his fighting spirit, competitiveness, and winning mentality. Kohli has made the number 18 jersey iconic, and it will be strange not to see it on an Indian player. He has been a class act for them for many years."
Stokes added, "I reached out to him via text, expressing my disappointment at not being able to compete against him. I enjoy our matches because we share a similar mindset on the field; it feels like a battle every time we play."
Kohli's Test career concluded with him being India's fourth-highest run-scorer, amassing 9,230 runs in 123 matches with an average of 46.85. Moving forward, both Kohli and Rohit Sharma will focus solely on One Day Internationals, aiming for participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup.