Joe Burns, once tipped to be Australia’s next big batting star across all formats, saw his career take an emotional turn after the tragic loss of his brother Dominic. In tribute to him, Burns shifted his base to Italy and went on to represent their national team. The move marked a new chapter in his life and career, helping Italy qualify for their first-ever ICC tournament  the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Now 35, Burns will return to India with the Italian squad to feature in the marquee tournament co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Having once captained Australia A on a tour of India, Burns will this time arrive as a leader of Italy’s historic campaign.

Joe Burns on Virat Kohli’s Legacy
Speaking to CricTracker, Burns reflected on his past encounters with Virat Kohli and the lasting impact the former Indian captain has had on the sport.

“Virat Kohli doesn’t take a backward step. As I said before, he really shaped that team’s identity. I think even now that he’s not in the team, you can see that the way that India play, it’s really shaped on, I guess, the foundations that Virat put in place over a number of years. He’s always a really fierce competitor. I tried not to look at him on the field. I didn’t want to engage with him because I knew that that really spurred him on. And I guess you factor in the fact that he’s a world-class batter, one of the greatest of all time. It’s a great combination. And like I said, it really set the identity for the Indian cricket team,” Burns said.

“You Don’t Talk, Rookie”: Kohli Embarrasses Burns on Debut
Sharing an unforgettable incident from his debut Test match, the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, Burns admitted Kohli left him embarrassed with a single reply.

“Yeah, actually, in my first game, first Test match at the MCG on Boxing Day, I think it was 24. And first game, I was fielding at Bat Pad. And I’m pretty sure Virat made 100 that day. But there was a little bit of chirp going on. Not sledging, just obviously we got Hadzi behind the stumps, and Watto was at first slip. Nathan Lyon was bowling, so I’m in close. I think it’d been four hours. I hadn’t said a word. I think I said one line. I think I said to him, Virat, you got to play some shots. He stopped the bowler, stopped Nathan Lyon, turned to me and said, ‘You don’t talk, rookie’. Next ball faced up, smacked it through covers. It was very embarrassing for me. I didn’t say a word the next four days after that, but it showed me that Virat was not someone to mess with. And I think as a 24-year-old débutant at Bat Pad, it wasn’t really the person or in the place to be saying anything to Virat at that point,” Burns recalled.

Joe Burns on Virat Kohli’s Retirement Decision
Burns also weighed in on Virat Kohli’s early retirement from Test cricket, admitting he was surprised initially but understood the reasoning behind it.

“Yeah, I was, I guess, a little bit surprised, but you know, when you have to think about it, it probably makes sense. He is a guy who puts a lot of passion into his cricket. He’s played at the top for a really long time, and you understand that that does take it out. You know, I think for someone of such high standards as Virat, it would have been tough to keep playing if you didn’t feel that you could commit that same passion and energy and effort into the game.

But he had an amazing Test career. He was a fierce competitor and really created an amazing identity for the Indian cricket teamm,” Burns said to CricTracker