'Monka well done': Rohit Sharma congratulates Murali Vijay, lauds his 'masterpieces in Australia' in special post
A day after his retirement, India skipper Rohit Sharma sent a congratulatory message to Murali Vijay, acknowledging his knocks in Australia.
Out-of-favour India opener Murali Vijay on Monday announced his retirement from international cricket. The batter, who has represented India in 61 Tests, 17 ODIs, and 9 T20Is, made his last international appearance back in 2018 against Australia in a Test played at Perth. He had also made his Test debut against the same team back in 2008-09 at Nagpur, replacing Gautam Gambhir in the XI.
A day after his retirement, India skipper Rohit Sharma sent a congratulatory message to Vijay, acknowledging his knocks in Australia. “Monka well done on your career bro, had a great time watching you play some of your masterpieces, specially in Australia. Good luck ahead bro,” the Indian captain tweeted.
In a career spanning for a decade, Vijay played 15 Tests in Australia, in which he amassed 1324 runs in 28 innings, which include six half-centuries and four tons. Out of the 15 Tests, he played six in Australia, where he scored 531 runs, which include four half-centuries and one century.
Vijay featured in first-class and List A cricket for Tamil Nadu late in 2019. As far as professional cricket is concerned, he last turned out for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League in 2020.
"Today, with immense gratitude and humility, I announce my retirement from all forms of international cricket," Vijay said in a statement on Twitter.
"I am excited to announce that I will be exploring new opportunities in the world of cricket and the business side of it, where I will also continue to participate in the sport that I love and challenge myself in new and different environments," the 38-year-old Vijay added.
"I believe this is the next step in my journey as a cricketer and I look forward to the new chapter in my life."
He thanked the BCCI, TNCA, CSK and Chemplast Sanmar and said, "I am grateful for the opportunities given to me by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, Chennai Super Kings and Chemplast Sanmar."
"To all my team-mates, coaches, mentors and support staff. It has been an absolute privilege to have played with you all, and, I thank you for helping me turn my dream into reality," he further said.
Thanking fans for their support through his ups and downs, he said, "I will forever cherish the moments I spent with you all and your support has always been a source of motivation for me.
"Lastly, I would like to thank my family & friends for their unconditional love and support throughout my career. They have been my backbone and without them, I would not have been able to achieve what I have today," he said.
