'It was great playing against you' - Virat Kohli extends wishes as Aaron Finch announces ODI retirement

Aaron Finch announced his retirement from ODI cricket on Saturday due to his recent struggles with form and fitness. He is set to make his last appearance in the format in the third and final ODI against New Zealand at Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns on Sunday. Finch will continue to lead the white-ball squad in T20I cricket ahead of the upcoming World Cup at home. 

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli paid a tribute on Finch's retirement with a heartfelt comment on the player's retirement post on Instagram. Both players played together in the Indian Premier League 2020 season for RCB and enjoy a good relationship on and off the pitch. Both the players will be playing against each other as the Australian squad is set to face India in a three-match T20I series starting on September 20 in Mohali. 

"Well done finchy. It was great to play against you all these years and with you as well at rcb. Enjoy the next phase of your life to the fullest," Kohli commented on Aaron Finch's retirement post on Instagram.

Aaron Finch will lead Australia in the 2022 T20 World Cup

The 35-year-old batter is set to feature in his 146th ODI match when he enters the field for the last time on Sunday. He has scored 5401 runs in 145 ODI matches at an impressive average of 39.13 so far. Finch has 17 ODI centuries and is behind only Ricky Ponting (29), David Warner (18), and Mark Waugh (18) among his compatriots. Finch made his ODI debut in 2013 and was part of Australia's World Cup-winning squad in 2015.

But his recent dip in form continued in the ongoing series against New Zealand. He scored only five runs in the first match and was caught out on duck in the second. The media already predicted that this will be a decisive series for the player as he managed to score only 21 runs in three matches against Zimbabwe.

Finch's recent numbers in T20I cricket are impressive with two fifties in the last five matches. He also remains the only Australian player ranked in the top ten of ICC T20I batters chart. As the next T20 World Cup is just a month away, Australian cricket is likely to continue with Finch as their captain.