Virat Kohli, the face of Indian cricket, recently announced his retirement from Test Cricket. The talented batsman had previously announced his retirement from T20 Internationals after the title triumph over South Africa at the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup. Kohli’s Test Cricket retirement announcement has caught the attention of Conor McGregor, the former two-division UFC champion.
Conor McGregor Sends a Heartfelt Message to Virat Kohli on His Retirement
Kohli announced his retirement through an Instagram post, featuring a snap of him in his Indian Test jersey and sharing an emotional message. McGregor re-shared the post on his Instagram story, captioning it: “Enjoy retirement brother Virat! Huge congrats on a stellar cricket career! Team TIDL.”
Kohli’s retirement came just days after Rohit Sharma, the Indian Test team captain, announced his decision to retire from the format. Like Kohli, Sharma had also retired from T20Is after the World Cup.
The loss of two mammoths in the lineup will be a big blow, but the cricketing talent in the Indian subcontinent is bigger than that of any other nation playing the sport.
Meanwhile, McGregor has not fought since 2019, and many believe he has already retired from the sport. However, preluding Michael Chandler’s fight against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314, “The Notorious” expressed interest in a return.
After Chandler lost the fight, McGregor called for a battle with “Iron”. The pair was initially scheduled to headline UFC 313, but the Irishman pulled out due to injury. Chandler has now fought twice since then. They were also coaches in the 31st season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series.
Virat Kohli Endorses Conor McGregor’s Brand
McGregor’s recent retirement wish for Kohli showed the Irishman mentioning “team TIDL,” a US-based pain relief brand co-founded by the former two-division UFC champion. The brand entered the Indian market through the former Indian cricket team captain midway through last year. The advertisement featuring Kohli had gone viral on social media and other platforms.
In India, McGregor’s brand has partnered with Baidyanath Group, a prominent Ayurvedic pharmaceutical company, headquartered in Kolkata. The partnership will help TIDL with the infrastructure for research and development, manufacturing, and distribution.
TIDL is one of many business ventures McGregor has invested in. In April last year, he became part-owner of the BKFC, a fast-growing bare-knuckle boxing promotion. UFC CEO Dana White had earlier expressed interest in buying the promotion, but it didn’t materialize, allegedly due to a low-ball offer from White.
Before McGregor rekindled his interest in fighting Chandler, he had shown an affinity to fight Jeremy Stephens, who defeated Eddie Alvarez, McGregor’s former opponent, at BKFC Knucklemania V. However, Stephens re-signed with the UFC soon after, but his return to his former promotion ended in a decision loss against Mason Jones at UFC Des Moines.