Virat Kohli took to social media to celebrate Ravichandran Ashwin's career after the veteran off-spinner announced his retirement from international cricket following the third Test between India and Australia at Gabba, which ended in a draw after a rain-hit clash.

Ashwin announced the decision in the post-match press conference, which he attended alongside skipper Rohit Sharma. Ashwin will not be with the Indian squad for the remaining two matches after confirming that his retirement is in effect immediately.

Kohli revealed he was emotional on hearing Ashwin's decision to retire and hailed him as a legend of Indian cricket, whose match-winning contributions are second to none.

"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, your skill and match winning contributions to Indian cricket are second to none and you will always and always be remembered as a legend of Indian cricket. Wish you nothing but the best in your life with your family and everything else that it unfolds for you. With massive respect and lots of love to you and your close ones. Thanks for everything buddy," wrote Kohli on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin Announces Retirement From All Formats; Not To Play MCG And SCG Test

Minutes before Ashwin confirmed his decision, a visual of Kohli sharing a heartfelt embrace with a visibly emotional Ashwin went viral on social media.

Kohli and Ashwin made their T20I debuts together for India against Zimbabwe in 2010 at Harare, while their Test debuts were months apart in 2011. The duo played a key part in helping India win the 2011 Cricket World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy. Ashwin was a key reason behind India's incredible dominance in Test cricket under Kohli's captaincy.

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