End of an era: Cricket fraternity hails Virat Kohli
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New Delhi: The cricketing fraternity on Monday paid glowing tributes to India's batting talisman Virat Kohli on his retirement from the longest format after an illustrious 14-year-career.
The 36-year-old Kohli quit Test cricket after scoring 9230 runs from 123 matches with 30 hundreds at an average of 46.85. He will only play in ODIs now, having already retired from T20 Internationals last year.
"An era ends in Test cricket but the legacy will continue FOREVER!@imVkohli, the former Team India Captain retires from Test cricket," the BCCI said in a post on 'X'.
"His contributions to #TeamIndia will forever be cherished!"
The ICC hailed Kohli as one of India's Test greats.
"One of India's Test greats calls time in the longest format. Whites off, crown intact. Virat Kohli bids goodbye to Test cricket, leaving behind an unmatched legacy," the ICC said.
Kohli's IPL team said it will miss their star player and former captain from the Test arena.
"The walk, Those shots, Those expressions, Those celebrations. We’ll miss them all. We’ll miss them all.
"The curtain falls on a monumental Test Era. But his legacy lives on, etched in time and carved in pride. Thank you, Virat Kohli, for the fire, the bravery, and the unmatched passion. You didn’t just play this format, you elevated it."
His former team-mate Ajinkya Rahane wrote, "It's been a special journey sharing the field with you, @virat.kohli. So many great memories and partnerships together. Congratulations on an amazing Test career!"
Former India pacer Irfan Pathan described Kohli as "a true torchbearer of modern Indian Test cricket".
"Congratulations on a phenomenal Test career, Virat Kohli. As captain, you didn’t just win matches—you changed mindsets. You made fitness, aggression, and pride in whites the new standard."
IPL franchise Delhi Capitals said "We weren’t ready for this."
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
