Virat Kohli wishes "true champion" Dale Steyn on his retirement

Dale Steyn, who announced his retirement from Test cricket yesterday after injuries had marred his career, was wished by former and current players of the game. Virat Kohli too took to Twitter to celebrate the career of the South African, calling him a '"true champion" and a "pace machine." 

Dale Steyn played alongside Virat Kohli for RCB in the IPL in the first three years, before he was picked up by Deccan Chargers. He then played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Lions and once again joined RCB this year as an injury replacement. 

"A true champion of the game. Happy retirement to the pace machine," tweeted Virat Kohli.

The 36-year old Steyn made his Test debut against England in 2004, and went on to play 93 games for South Africa subsequently. He finishes his career with an astonishing 439 wickets that were taken at an average of 22.95. 

"Today I walk away from a format of the game I love so much," said the 36-year-old Steyn, his country's leading Test wicket-taker of all time and one of the top 10 in the history of the game.

"In my opinion Test cricket is the best version of this game. It tests you mentally, physically, emotionally. It's terrible to consider never playing another Test again but what's more terrifying is the thought of never playing again at all.

"So I will be focusing on ODIs and T20s for the rest of my career to maximise my full potential and ensure my longevity in this sport. I look forward to continuing to play for the Proteas in the shorter formats."

Recently, the bowler had to miss the World Cup 2019 due to a shoulder injury.