"We have lost a genius and his void can never be filled," India cricket team captain Virat Kohli said on Thursday, paying rich tributes to the departed Argentine football legend Diego Maradona.
Maradona died at the age of 60 on Wednesday at his residence in Buenos Aires after suffering a cardiac arrest, two weeks after being released from a hospital following a brain surgery.
"It's obviously a very sad day for football, it's very sad for sports in general because we have lost a genius," Kohli said in a message posted by BCCI on its Twitter handle on the eve of the first ODI against Australia.
"We have lost someone who has inspired people across generations and across walks of life, not just sports but so many people in their lives as well."
Considered the greatest footballer of all time alongside Brazil's Pele, Maradona's death triggered a massive outpouring of emotional tributes from legends such as Mike Tyson and Magic Johnson to current sporting icons like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo mourning his loss.
"People are mesmerised watching him play and that's something which happens with very few and he was one of them," Kohli said.
"Pure genius with what he did and it's avoid that can't be filled. Some of the football greats have already said so and I totally agree with that."
Kohli, a die hard football fan who also co-owns the FC Goa team in the Indian Super League, feels the 1986 World Cup-winning Argentina captain created an aura around him which will be remembered for time immemorial.
"I watched his documentary last year when we were there for the World Cup (in the United Kingdom) and it was amazing to see the aura and the persona around him and the stuff that he went through. Just pure genius of what he did and that's something that will be dearly remembered," Kohli said.
"He will be missed by everyone in the sports fraternity and football fraternity as well."
