'I am disappointed': Javed Akhtar urges Virat Kohli to reconsider Test retirement decision

Virat Kohli recently announced his retirement from Test cricket and left fans across the world heartbroken. Among them is lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar, who wants him to reconsider his decision.

Javed Akhtar on Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket

A disappointed Akhtar took to Twitter and called himself an admirer of Kohli. He wrote for him, “Obviously Virat knows better but as an admirer of This great player I am disappointed by his rather premature retirement from Test cricket cricket. I think there is still a lot of cricket in him. I sincerely request him to reconsider his decision.”

Soon after he shared the post, several fans agreed with Akhtar. One user wrote in the comment section, “Coming from our highly esteemed Javed Saab this is MASSIVE! Hope @imVkohli reconsiders his decision.” “Totally agree!!!! Plus, players like Virat, Rohit and Ashwin deserve a farewell match,” added another.

Anushka Sharma reacts to Varun Grover's tribute to Virat Kohli

On the other hand, lyricist and stand-up comedian, Varun Grover took to social media and shared a heartfelt tribute to Kohli. He wrote, "Test cricket is special because it is a narrative sport. So many variables – four innings, five days, twenty-two specialists, changing weather (sometimes several times in a day), humidity in the air, the condition of the pitch, luck determined by a coin toss, and constantly evolving mental calculations.”

“Although every sport reflects some aspect of life, but test cricket is like a literary novel — combining many different genres into one. That’s why only those with a story to tell succeed in test cricket. A story so long and deep that it doesn’t care for the pitch conditions – grass, dry, home or away. Virat Kohli is the biggest character of this novel over the last decade. He not only lived the different emotions of the game but also enriched them. A lot has been written about what he gave to the team and India, but he became something rare for test cricket — a sensitive, drama-loving hero who looks good both laughing and crying, winning and losing,” he added.

His emotional note received love from Virat's wife, actor Anushka Sharma.

Anushka reshared the post on her Instagram Stories with a white heart emoji to extend her support.

For the unversed, Virat marked his Test debut in 2011, and on Monday, he announced his retirement via an Instagram post. He played 123 Test matches for India and led 68 matches, winning 40 as the captain.