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Virat Kohli, a mainstay of Team India, has declared his retirement from the game’s longest format. “Gutted, shocked, and sad” is how former England captain Michael Vaughan described his disappointment after retiring.

The former cricket player said that Virat is the best player he has seen contributing to Test cricket.

Not many Test retirements leave me really saddened by the fact that I will never see a cricket player again. However, I’m sad that Virat Kohli won’t be playing in England this summer or wearing whites any longer. I’m both surprised and sorry that he’s retiring at this time. Throughout my more than three decades of involvement in the game, I don’t think anybody has contributed more to the Test format than Virat,” Vaughan said in his Telegraph column.

Virat Kohli has averaged 46.85 and made 9,230 runs in 123 Test matches. In the format, the veteran additionally had thirty-one and a half centuries to his credit.

In addition, the 36-year-old guided India to 40 Test victories in 68 games. He is now India’s most successful Test skipper as a result.

In addition, Vaughan expressed concern that India was losing interest in Test cricket and that it was Kohli who revived the sport’s popularity. Without Kohli, Test cricket would have been much more boring.

“I was concerned that India was losing interest in Test cricket when he became the leader a little more than ten years ago. Despite being one of the best white-ball players, MS Dhoni seemed to lead a Test squad that did not like the format”. As captain, Virat fostered India’s intense love for Test cricket, which is what the game needs,” the 50-year-old stated.

“Test cricket has greatly benefited from his enthusiasm, talent, and his statements that it is always the best. Without him, test cricket would have been a far more boring sport, and it’s possible that it would have lost its allure if he hadn’t been as involved in it.” Vaughan referred to Kohli’s departure as a setback for Test cricket and said he was the best player in all forms. “His retirement now is a blow to Test cricket and very disappointing for fans, not least in England this summer but my belief is that he has helped forge a love for the format among the generation that will follow him and kept the flame burning,” wrote the former opener.

“It’s impossible to compare across every era, but if you look at since T20 came in around 20 years ago, he is almost certainly the greatest player when you consider all three formats” .

According to the former English cricket player, Virat Kohli’s ego isn’t as large as it has been portrayed to be.

“Egos are a feature of all great players, but maybe Virat’s wasn’t as large as we first believed. He may have become a little more relaxed due to family life, and he just wants to live as regular a life as possible, which is most likely going to be in London, where he now spends a lot of time. “People outside of that bubble simply cannot comprehend what it’s like to be a Sachin Tendulkar or a Kohli, with billions of devoted fans bearing down on you,” Vaughan said.