Virat Kohli’s sudden retirement from Test cricket on May 12 surprised fans and left many emotional. While some supported his decision, others were disappointed and hoped he would change his mind. Social media was flooded with messages from fans and celebrities alike. One such message came from writer and comedian Varun Grover, who shared a heartfelt note on Instagram. He called Test cricket a “narrative sport,” full of changing weather, pitch conditions, luck, and long mental battles. He wrote that while many sports reflect life, Test cricket is like a novel that blends many stories into one. Grover’s touching tribute got a special reaction from actress Anushka Sharma, adding to the wave of emotions following Kohli’s announcement. She re-shared it on her Instagram Stories and dropped a white heart. Varun Grover wrote, “Test cricket is special because it is a narrative sport. So many variables – four innings, five days, twenty-two specialists, changing weather (sometimes several times in a day), humidity in the air, the condition of the pitch, luck determined by a coin toss, and constantly evolving mental calculations.” He went on to add, “Although every sport reflects some aspect of life, but test cricket is like a literary novel — combining many different genres into one.” The bit Anushka shared, read, “That’s why only those with a story to tell succeed in test cricket. A story so long and deep that it doesn’t care for the pitch conditions – grass, dry, home or away.” Concluding, the write wrote, “Virat Kohli is the biggest character of this novell over the last decade. He not only lived the different emotions of the game but also enriched them. A lot has been written about what he gave to the team and India, but he became something rare for test cricket — a sensitive, drama-loving hero who looks good both laughing and crying, winning and losing.” In the caption, Varun wrote, “Thank you Virat Kohli. You brought the precision of a surgeon and passion of a stage performer to this game “of inches, played in yards”. You will be missed on the grounds.”