Ace India batter Virat Kohli, who announced his Test retirement earlier this week and Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane were seen embracing each other ahead of a nets session, before IPL 2025 resumed with a classic Kolkata vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru clash on Saturday, May 17. Rahane has not featured in India’s Test team over the past two years, and with Kohli‘s retirement, an era of Indian cricket has come to an end. Rahane and Kohli walked out to bat together in the nets while engaging in a conversation during their respective franchises’ training at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Watch the video here: The #TATAIPL2025 action is back! ? Location: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/1OitOOMd41 — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 15, 2025 Kohli and Rahane’s chat ended with a side hug that drew smiles from both. The reunion came days after a tense week for Indian cricket and the Indian Premier League itself, which had been suspended for seven days because of rising cross-border tensions with Pakistan. With a ceasefire confirmed and military operations toned down, BCCI announced IPL 2025’s resumption, bringing relief to teams and fans alike. Meanwhile, Kohli’s sudden Test retirement announcement on Monday sent shockwaves through the cricketing world. Kohli represented India in 123 Tests, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 hundreds. Kohli led India to 40 victories in 68 Tests, the most by any Indian captain to date. “If he decided to do something, then he gave his 100%, which is not easy to match. Individually, as a bowler, as a batsman,” former India head coach Ravi Shastri said while speaking to ICC. Kohli was not only the biggest promoter of Test cricket but also ended as India’s most successful Test skipper. Kohli’s performance dipped in the last five years, reducing his average to 46.9 from the high 50s witnessed at the peak of his career. Shubman Gill is being tipped to take over leadership from Rohit Sharma, who retired last week. With Ravichandran Ashwin retiring midway in the series against Australia, the Indian side finds itself in the middle of a massive transition phase. RCB will take on KKR on Saturday, and a win for the former would guarantee them a place in the playoffs.