Veteran Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor sent a heartfelt tribute to Virat Kohli following his retirement from Test cricket. On Monday, May 12, Kohli declared his retirement from the longest format of the game.
Anil Kapoor revealed that eleven years ago, when on a movie set with Anushka Sharma, he first met Virat Kohli on a vacation. He talked about Kohli’s character and how he started to respect him for his accomplishments.
In addition to congratulating Kohli, Anil Kapoor complimented him and stated that even though he may have resigned from Test cricket, 1.4 billion Indians will always love him.
“We met eleven years ago on a cruise when Anushka was shooting Dil Dhadakne Do. I still remember how warm, humble, and down-to-earth you were – it left a lasting impression on me. Since then, I’ve been admiring you from afar – your discipline, passion, and the sheer joy and pride you’ve given us through your incredible achievements on the field. Though we haven’t met again since, I’ve always been cheering for you. Congratulations on everything you’ve accomplished. You may have retired from Test cricket, but you’ll never retire from the hearts of 1.4 billion Indians – and millions more around the world. Thank you, Virat,” he wrote on his Instagram story, putting up Kohli’s retirement post.
Anil Kapoor's Instagram story for Virat Kohli. 🐐❤️ pic.twitter.com/q22YtFiV1W
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) May 13, 2025A user on X (previously Twitter) sent a snapshot of Anil Kapoor’s Instagram story for Kohli on his Test retirement, which is shown below.
Virat Kohli’s Test career as batter and captain
Virat Kohli played for India in 123 Tests during his international playing stint. He has scored 9230 runs in his name with an average of 46.85 and a century of 30 and half century of 31. Kohli has also scored seven double hundreds in the Test cricket.
He captained India in 68 Test matches. He is the most successful Indian Test skipper with 40 victories. He is also the Indian captain with the most Test victories away from home, having won 16 of them abroad.
He was the first Indian skipper to win a Test series in Australia, and he did it during the famous 2018-19 series. His victories as a Test captain in Australia, England, and South Africa heralded the belief that the Indian team can win Tests outside of India and rule the top countries on their own turfs in tough circumstances.
