“Accepted by one as a son…seen one grow into strong…”: Virat Kohli’s heartwarming Mother’s Day wish
New Delhi [India], May 11 (ANI): Star India batter Virat Kohli on Sunday posted a heartwarming Mother’s Day wish dedicated to his mother Saroj and his wife, Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, mother of his two children, Aakay and Vamika.
Taking to his official Instagram, Virat extended a warm Mother’s Day wish to “all the mothers of the world". He also noted that after being “accepted by one as a son", he has “seen one grow into a strong, nurturing, loving, and protective mother to our children".
“Happy Mother’s day to all the mothers of the world. I was born to one, accepted by one as a son, and have seen one grow into a strong , nurturing, loving, and protective mother to our children. We love you more and more everyday," said Virat on his Instagram.
Mother’s Day is celebrated every year, honouring mothers all over the world. On this day, people celebrate their bonds with their mothers, celebrate the idea of motherhood, and how they influence society.
Notably, Virat has communicated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about his intention to retire from Test cricket, reported ESPNCricinfo on Saturday. This report comes just two days after batter and his long-time teammate Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from whites and just over a month before India kickstarts its ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign against England with a five-match series, starting at Headingley from June 20 onwards.
As per ESPNCricinfo, Virat has been having such conversations with the board over the past month or so. If Virat indeed retires, it would mark the end of an illustrious Test career of 14 years, during which he made 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries.
He is also India’s most successful Test captain ever, having won 40 out of 68 Tests with the armband.
During 2016-2019, Virat enjoyed one of the biggest primes in the history of the longest format. With 4,208 runs to his name in 43 Tests at an average of 66.79, he scored 16 centuries and 10 fifties in 69 innings, making him one of the biggest ambassadors of the format.
However, the decade of the 2020s has not been great for the superstar batter, having made just 2,028 runs in 39 Tests at an underwhelming average of 30.72, with just three centuries and nine fifties to show in 69 innings. His numbers received a boost from a fine 2023, where he made 671 runs in eight Tests at an average of 55.91, with two centuries and two fifties in 12 innings.
He ended last year with just 382 runs in 10 Tests at a shocking average of 22.47, with just one century and fifty in 19 innings. His last Test outing was the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour to Australia from November-January, where he made just 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75, with his century at Perth being a highlight. That century was his first since July 2023, when he hit a ton against the West Indies at Port of Spain in 2023.
Also, he is yet to hit a home century since his century against Australia in early 2023 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Ahmedabad.
Despite the downward curve of his form, it is understood that the team management and selectors want his experience for the England tour, where India is playing under a new skipper after Rohit announced his retirement. Young batter Shubman Gill is the top contender for the captaincy armband. (ANI)
(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)
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