“I will be walking out with you to bat at the MCG,” R Ashwin told Virat Kohli in a short note on X on Friday, a subtle and endearing demonstration of their closeness in the team.Ashwin, who announced a surprise retirement from international cricket after the drawn third Test against Australia in Brisbane, was thanking his teammate of 14 years for his stirring tribute to the ace spinner a day earlier.
“I’ve played with you for 14 years and when you told me today you’re retiring, it made me a bit emotional and the flashbacks of all those years playing together came to me. I’ve enjoyed every bit of the journey with you ash…,” Kohli wrote hours after Ashwin announced his decision on Wednesday.
Responding to Kohli, Ashwin said, “Thanks buddy! Like I told you, I will be walking out with you to bat at the MCG.”