In an unexpected but heartwarming moment during a critical military briefing on Operation Sindoor, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), took a brief detour from defence discussions to pay tribute to Virat Kohli’s Test retirement. Amid updates on India’s robust countermeasures to recent airspace violations and actions against terror networks in Pakistan, the top-ranking officer acknowledged Kohli’s immense contribution to Indian cricket.
The timing was poignant. Just a day before India was to finalise its squad for the England tour, Kohli made his decision public through an emotional Instagram post on May 12.
The 36-year-old Delhi stalwart bows out of Test cricket with an enviable resume — 123 matches, 9,230 runs, an average of 46.85, and 30 magnificent centuries. As India’s most successful Test captain, he led in 68 matches and claimed victory in 40 of them — a feat that speaks volumes of his leadership and impact.
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“I think today I should speak a bit about cricket too, because I saw Virat Kohli has retired from Tests. Like many Indians, he is my favourite cricketer,” said Lt. Gen. Ghai, blending duty and sentiment in a moment that caught many by surprise.
#WATCH | Delhi | DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai says, “Targetting our airfields and logistics is way too tough… I saw that Virat Kohli has just retired from test cricket; he is one of my favourites. In the 1970s, during the Ashes between Australia and England, two… pic.twitter.com/B3egs6IeOA
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2025
Drawing an intriguing parallel between cricket and combat, he recalled the legendary Ashes series of 1974-75. Comparing India’s air defence system to the ferocity of Australian pace duo Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee, Ghai said, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, if Thommo doesn’t get ya, Lillee surely must.”
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His analogy painted a vivid picture of India’s multi-layered defence, much like how opposing teams once struggled to get past India’s Test line-up under Kohli’s command. Kohli’s influence, it seems, resonates far beyond the boundary ropes.
