New Delhi: A day after he announced his retirement from Test cricket, India’s batting stalwart Virat Kohli was on Tuesday spotted in Vrindavan with wife Anushka Sharma in tow. A video of their visit to the holy town where Lord Krishna spent his childhood went viral on social media.
In Vrindavan, Virat and Anushka met Sant Premanand Govind Sharan and received his blessings.
Kohli took to Instagram on Monday to draw curtains on his illustrious 14-year-long Test career with 9,230 runs in 123 matches, including a stellar 30 centuries and 31 fifties.
The couple was previously spotted visiting several temples over the couple of years. In January this year, Virat, Anushka Sharma and their children visited Vrindavan to seek the blessings of Premanand Ji Maharaj, the photos of which went viral on social media.
In 2023, the couple visited the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain. Earlier, the duo took a spiritual journey to Neem Karoli Baba ashram, Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand.
Virat’s Test retirement decision came after it was reported that Kohli had communicated his decision to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ahead of next month’s five-match Test series against England.
Kohli, who made his Test debut in 2011, has been a cornerstone of India’s red-ball resurgence over the past decade. His aggressive captaincy, prolific batting, and unmatched intensity have helped transform India into a formidable Test side both at home and abroad.
He hung up his spikes as the fourth-most successful Test captain with 40 wins overall, behind Graeme Smith (53 wins), Ricky Ponting (48 wins), and Steve Waugh (41 wins).
Kohli’s 30 Test centuries make him the fourth-most successful Indian batter, behind Sachin Tendulkar (51 hundreds), Rahul Dravid (36), and Sunil Gavaskar (34). Kohli also made seven Test double hundreds, the most ever by an Indian. He also has the most Test hundreds by an Indian captain, with Gavaskar (11 centuries) way behind his 20 tons.
The right-handed batter previously announced his retirement from the T20I format after India’s T20 World Cup triumph last year. The 36-year-old will now only feature in ODIs for India.
(IANS)
