'For me you are the greatest of all time,' - Virat Kohli pens down heartfelt message for Cristiano Ronaldo after World Cup exit

Former Indian skipper and batting great Virat Kohli has paid a heartfelt tribute to football icon Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal's shocking exit from the ongoing FIFA World Cup at the hands of Morocco. Kohli compiled a post via his official Instagram handle, hailing Ronaldo as the greatest of all time.

The 34-year-old's admiration for Ronaldo is no secret to anyone and the latter's heartbreaking departure from the World Cup 2022, which was probably his last, evoked an emotional reaction from the Indian cricketer. Ronaldo was seen in tears after Portugal's defeat to the Atlas Lions in the quarter-final.

Kohli penned down an emotional post, hailing the Portuguese icon as the greatest footballer of all time despite not winning the World Cup. He praised the 37-year-old as an inspiration for several sports personalities around the globe and said no title could define his influence and impact on the game.

"No trophy or any title can take anything away from what you’ve done in this sport and for sports fans around the world. No title can explain the impact you’ve had on people and what I and so many around the world feel when we watch you play. That’s a gift from god. A real blessing to a man who plays his heart out every single time and is the epitome of hard work and dedication and a true inspiration for any sportsperson. You are for me the greatest of all time," Kohli wrote in his post.

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Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli, who is one of the most revered athletes in the world is widely regarded as the greatest modern-era batter for his astonishing output with the bat. He recently broke Ricky Ponting's record of 71 centuries in international cricket and is just behind the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in the list of players with the most centuries in the game. Kohli will be in action for India in the upcoming Test series against hosts Bangladesh commencing later this week.