As Virat Kohli announced his decision to step down as Indian Men's Cricket Test captain through a social media post on 15 January, Twitter erupted in disbelief.
From cricketers and celebs to politicians and journalists, Kohli's magic in Indian cricket has, undoubtedly, left a lasting impression on all his fans.
After being handed India's Test captaincy by MS Dhoni midway through the 2014-2015 Australian tour, Virat has led India in whites in 68 matches, of which the team has won 40, lost 17, and drawn 11.
Former cricketer Suresh Raina said that although he was shocked, he respected Kohli's decision. Others like Irfan Pathan and Wasim Jaffer remarked about the kind of legacy that Kohli had left behind in Indian Test cricket through his captaincy career.
India are, currently the top-ranked Test team in the world.
"Your contributions have been immense...we will miss you," wrote Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
Ajith Ramamurthy, who's the Head of Sports Content and Online Partnerships of Royal Challengers, tweeted, "Virat Kohli, the Test captain didn’t just drive Indian cricket forward, he helped Test cricket grow and survive its toughest times."
Some blamed BCCI politics and mismanagement in the governing body for cricket for Kohli's announcement.
"It has been seven years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance everyday to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honest and left nothing out there. Every thing has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now," Kohli wrote in a post.
"There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey, but never has there been a lack of effort or lack of belief. I have always believed in giving my 120 percent in everything I do, and if I can’t do that, I know it’s night the right thing to do. I have absolute clarity in my heart and I cannot be dishonest to my team," the note read.
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