Australian spin legend Shane Warne’s sudden demise has left the cricket fraternity in a state of shock.

Warne, who was 52, passed away of a suspected heart attack on Friday (March 4). He was found unresponsive in his villa in Thailand and couldn’t be revived despite the best efforts of medical staff.

Speaking on the sidelines of second day’s play between India and Sri Lanka in the ongoing Mohali Test, India head coach Rahul Dravid grieved the unfortunate death of Warne, saying it is a personal loss and the great leg-spinner will be remembered as long as the game is played.

"I had the privilege and honour to play against Shane Warne. More importantly the great privilege of getting to know him personally and playing with him and alongside him as a colleague, I think that will probably be one of the highlights of my cricketing career," Dravid said in a video posted by BCCI on Twitter.

"Even if you didn't meet him very often, he would make it feel like this was personal. It really feels like a personal loss. It's something that really hurts; it's sad. As long as the game is being played, someone like Shane Warne and Rodney Marsh will always be remembered," he added.

Shane Warne’s demise came less than 24 hours after another Australia legend Rod Marsh passed away due to a cardiac arrest.

"Really sad day for the game of cricket. To lose two legends in two days, people who truly made the game what it is and truly loved the game, is indeed a deep loss. Our thoughts are with both the families, their friends and may their souls rest in peace.

"I didn't know Rod that well, I met him a few times. But grew up watching a lot of Rodney Marsh and hearing a lot about him," said Dravid.

Rahul Dravid had shared the dressing room with Warne at Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2011 after playing against each other in international cricket.

"Just to get to know him personally a lot and speak about him as a great cricketer and rightly so; we all know a lot about that. "I think for me what will remain just is the memories of the friendship, of the times we spent together off the field and just the ability to connect. I think that was what was great about Shane Warne," Dravid said.

Shane Warne played 145 Tests and 194 ODIs between 1992 and 2007 and claimed a total of 1001 wickets during his illustrious career. He played a key role in Australia’s 1999 World Cup triumph.

(With PTI inputs)