Andrew Symonds passes away: Tendulkar, Kohli pay moving tributes to Australian legend

Former Australian cricketer and one of the most explosive batters of all time Andrew Symonds died in a car accident late on Saturday night. According to reports, Symonds was travelling alone in his car near Townsville in Queensland, Australia when the fatal tragedy occurred. At the time of his death, Symonds was just 46 years old. The untimely demise of the renowned cricketer has triggered a worldwide outpouring of grief, with fellow cricketers from all over the world sending their condolences.

Indian cricketing superstars Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are amongst those who have paid their tributes to the late batter. Sachin was shocked to learn of Symonds' death and stated he has fond memories of his time with the Australian during their stint at Mumbai Indians. Kohli, on the other hand, prayed for his soul to rest in peace and expressed sympathy to Symonds' family.

Tributes pour in for Symonds

Meanwhile, several other people from the cricketing fraternity also turned to social media to react to Symonds' untimely demise. Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist, fast bowler Jason Gillespie, and Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took to Twitter to express shock at the news. 

Symonds made his international debut for Australia in 1998. He went on to play 26 Tests and 198 One-Day Internationals for his country apart from a few T20Is in the late 2000s. The right-handed batter scored 1,462 Test runs and 5,088 ODI runs at averages of 40.61 and 39.75 before announcing retirement from all forms of the game in 2011. The two-time World Cup champion also played in the Indian Premier League for four seasons. Prior to his death, Symonds would often work as a commentator in various leagues and competitions across the world. 

Image: PTI/AP