A true champion of the game: Virat Kohli’s special message to Dale Steyn

A true champion of the game.
Happy retirement to the pace machine @DaleSteyn62 ??????

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) August 5, 2019

Former South Africa cricketer and Kohli’s RCB teammate AB de Villiers also shared a picture of him celebrating with Steyn on Instagram. In the post, De Villiers wrote how privileged he was to watch the seamer turn into one of the best bowlers of his era.

The 36-year-old, who made his Test debut for Proteas back in 2004, is the leading South African wicket-taker in the longest format of the game. The seamer, who has appeared in 93 matches, has 439 wickets under his name including 26 five-wicket hauls and 5 10-wicket hauls.

“Today I walk away from a format of the game I love so much,” Steyn said while announcing his retirement.

“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’d like to thank everyone in cricket, no one specific, because everyone has been a part of my journey. And I look forward to continuing to play for the Proteas in the shorter formats. Thank you,” Steyn said in a statement.

Steyn, however, will continue playing for South Africa in the limited-overs format.