Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma join list of cricketers to pay tribute to the martyred Indian soldiers

Skipper Virat Kohli paid tribute to the Indian Army soldiers who were martyred during a  face-off with the Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley situated in Ladakh. 

Kolhi took to Twitter and said: "Salute and deepest respect to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect our country in the Galwan Valley. NO one is more selfless and brave than a soldier. Sincere condolences to the families. I hope they find peace through our prayers at this difficult time."

Indian and Chinese troops had clashed in the Galwan Valley on June 15/16 in which 20 Indian soldiers were martyred. The clash occurred after weeks of stand-off between the two armies in the upper Himalayas.

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said China tried to "unilaterally change the status quo and departed from the consensus to respect the Line of Actual Control in the Galwan Valley".

"Both sides suffered casualties that could have been avoided had an agreement at higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

"Given its responsible approach to border management, India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of the LAC. We expect the same of the Chinese side," it added.

Many other icons in the Indian cricket like Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma and Yuvraj Singh also tweeted to pay tribute to the martyrs.