Ben Stokes on Kohli’s Absence: ‘India Will Miss His Fighting Spirit’ in Upcoming Test Series"

Virat Kohli vs Ben Stokes will be missing from the coming India-England series. Kohli had retired from Tests prior to the series. England captain Ben Stokes said that India would miss Kohli's combativeness during the series.

Stokes on Kohli’s Absence

In a video uploaded by England Cricket, Ben Stokes uttered, "I believe India would miss Kohli's fighting spirit. Kohli is different from the others with his aggression and his desire to win. He made the number 18 on the back of the jersey his own, did he not? It's poignant to think that we would not see the number 18 on the back of any Indian jersey in the next series. Kohli has developed a different identity in the Indian team because of his extended playing days."

A Personal Message

Stokes further stated that Kohli had messaged him after his retirement. According to him, "I texted him. I said, it's a shame not to be able to play against you. I love playing against Virat. He loves it too. Because we both have the same mentality. When we get in the middle, it's a battle."

Kohli’s Test Legacy

Kohli retired as India's fourth-highest scorer of runs in Test cricket. He had scored 9,230 runs in 123 games with 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. Stokes has stated, "Kohli is a brilliant cricketer. I'm certain the entire nation of India worships him. We do too. Moreover, his record in England is also impressive."