Follow UsAhead of the five-Test series against England, India’s Virat Kohli bid goodbye to Test cricket last month, making it the first time Ben Stokes will be playing an Indian team in England without Virat Kohli being a part of it.
It will be unfamiliar territory of sorts for Stokes and England, considering Kohli captained India in nine of their last 10 Tests against the Three Lions in England.
Reacting on the unavailability of one of the greatest players of the modern day in India's tour of England 2025, Stokes, in a video released by England Cricket, said, “I think what India will miss will be his fighting spirit out in the game, his competitiveness, his desire to win. He has made number 18 his, hasn't he?”
“It'll be a bit weird not to see the number 18 on the back of anyone… of any Indian shirt, but he has been class for them for a long period of time,” he added.
Asked what he did do after Kohli announced his retirement, Stokes said, “I did text him, saying it's going to be a shame not to play against him because I love playing against Virat. We both love playing against each other because we have that same mindset when we are out in the field that it's a battle.”