Virat Kohli, the most Australian non-Australian cricketer ever: Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell praises Virat Kohli's Test retirement as the end of a transformative era in Indian cricket.

Australian batting great Greg Chappell feels Virat Kohli's Test retirement "marks the end of a thunderous era" in which he managed to "eclipse" the great Sachin Tendulkar in terms of making a cultural and psychological impact on India's cricketing identity.

Writing in his column for 'ESPNCricinfo', Chappell, a former India head coach said Kohli's over a decade long career in the format that began in 2011, was a "reign forged in grit, fire, and audacity."

"It closes the chapter on the most transformative figure in Indian cricket since Sachin Tendulkar; perhaps Kohli even eclipses him in terms of cultural influence and psychological impact on India's cricketing identity," Chappell wrote.

"Kohli, the incandescent heart of Indian cricket for over a decade, did not just score runs. He redefined expectations, challenged conventions, and symbolised the self-assured, unapologetic India of the 21st century," he added.

The 36-year-old Kohli announced his retirement on Monday, declaring that he is walking away with a heart full of gratitude even though it was not an easy decision to make.

"Virat Kohli is the most Australian non-Australian cricketer we've ever seen," Chappell wrote.

"He was - a snarling warrior in whites, never giving an inch, always demanding more. Not just of his bowlers, his fielders or his opposition, but first and foremost, of himself," he said.