Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday said he was "truly sad" to see Indian cricketer Virat Kohli announcing a sudden Test retirement and questioned the decision.
Mr Kohli, the former captain of Team India, announced on Monday that he was ending his 14-year-long Test journey.
"The only time I met the immortal Virat Kohli face-to-face, early in his career, when he was well on his way to becoming the legend we have all admired," Mr Tharoor wrote in an emotional post on X.
He also shared a picture with Mr Kohli, which was clicked during an award show in Gurugram in 2013.
Mr Tharoor, a known cricket enthusiast, said he has watched Mr Kohli, who made his Test debut in 2011, bat in various formats and "admired him most" in Tests.
"I'm truly sad to see him go so early, so unexpectedly, without even the joy of a farewell Test match at home. Why, Virat? We all still need you," he added.
Virat Kohli, 36, ended his run in the traditional format, scoring 9,230 runs from 123 matches with 30 hundreds at an average of 46.85.
Having already retired from T20 Internationals after India won the World Cup last year, Mr Kohli will only play in One Day Internationals (ODIs) now.
He led the team in 68 Tests, winning 40 of them, making him the most successful captain of the Indian team.
Rishi Sunak On Virat Kohli's Test Retirement
Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had also expressed disappointment after Virat Kohli retired days ahead of Team India's Test tour of England.
"Sad we won't get to see Virat Kohli one last time this summer," he wrote on X, referring to the India-England Test series that is scheduled to begin on June 20.
The Indian-origin politician said that Mr Kohli has been a "legend of the game".
"A superb batsman, an astute captain and a formidable competitor who always understood the true value of Test cricket," he said.
"Not Easy, But Feels Right": Virat Kohli Retires From Tests
Virat Kohli confirmed his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect in an emotional post on Instagram and said the decision wasn't an "easy" one, but felt "right" to him.
"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," the Indian cricket great wrote.
He said there is "something deeply personal" about playing in whites.
"The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever," he added.
"As I step away from this format, it's not easy – but it feels right. I've given it everything I had, and it's given me back so much more than I could've hoped for. 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," Mr Kohli said.
He said he will always look back at his Test career "with a smile".
"#269, signing off," he wrote, referring to his cap number in Test cricket.
His announcement came days after Team India's current Test captain, Rohit Sharma, called it quits in the longest format.
