England Test captain Ben Stokes recently disclosed that he reached out to Virat Kohli via text following the batting stalwart’s surprising announcement to retire from Test cricket on May 12.

Kohli’s retirement came shortly after India’s Test captain Rohit Sharma announced his own departure from the format, leaving the Indian squad facing the prospect of touring England with a relatively inexperienced side. Kohli had taken to social media to explain that although giving up Test cricket was a difficult choice, it ultimately felt like the right decision for him.