Go well, King: Celebrities hail Virat Kohli as batter after Test retirement

Vicky Kaushal, Ranveer Singh, Farhan Akhtar, and Abhishek Banerjee were among those cinema stars who expressed gratitude to Virat Kohli for his incredible run in Test cricket after the star batter on Monday announced his retirement from the longest format.

The 36-year-old Kohli quit red ball cricket after scoring 9,230 runs from 123 matches with 30 hundreds at an average of 46.85.

Actor Anushka Sharma, who is married to Kohli, said the cricketer had "earned every bit of this goodbye".

"They'll talk about the records and the milestones - but I'll remember the tears you never showed, the battles no one saw, and the unwavering love you gave this format of the game.

"I know how much all this took from you. After every Test series, you came back a little wiser, a little humbler and watching you evolve through it all has been a privilege," Sharma wrote on Instagram.

Kaushal lauded Kohli for doing things in his own way and that way will truly be missed.

"Congratulations on an incredibly inspirational test career and thank you for the memories Champ! @virat.kohli," he wrote on his Instagram Stories.

Since making his debut in 2011, Kohli captained India to the world number one position in the format and fetched a historic series triumph in Australia in 2018-19.

Kohli announced retirement from Test cricket in an Instagram post on Monday.

"It's been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It's tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I'll carry for life... I'm walking away with a heart full of gratitude - for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way," he wrote.

The comments section of the batter's post was flooded with reactions from several fans, including actors Ranveer Singh, Farhan Akhtar, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee, and Neha Dhupia.

"One in a Billion! Go well, King!" Singh wrote.

"Congratulations on an incredible test career and thanks for all the great memories," said Akhtar.

Khurana said he is happy to be born in an era "where we witnessed it inch by inch!" "Rabbb Charhdiyaaan Kalaan ich rakhey! Always," he added.

"Thanks for making every Indian proud," wrote Banerjee.

Dhupia said Kohli's reign will "never end in our hearts".

Actor Suniel Shetty praised the batter, saying he didn't just play cricket but "lived it".

"You Honoured it, breathed fire, wore your heart on your sleeve and your passion like armour. The roar. The grit. The obsession. The Heart. Take a bow, champ. The red-ball rests, but your legacy races on. @imVkohli," Shetty wrote in an X post  Actor Prakash Raj thanked Kohli for "all the inspiring moments".

Kohli will only play in ODIs now, having already retired from T20 Internationals last year.