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India Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Sad Virat Kohli retired like this, I'd have made him Test captain: Ravi Shastri
Former India coach Ravi Shastri expressed his disappointment over the manner in which Virat Kohli retired, offering a candid assessment of how events unfolded following the tour of Australia. Shastri stressed that better communication was needed among the stakeholders of Indian cricket, adding he would have had no hesitation in appointing Kohli as Test captain ahead of the England Kohli retired from Test cricket in May, taking many by surprise. The former captain announced his decision in an emotional social media post midway through the IPL 2025 when you go, that's when people will realise how big a player he was. I feel sad that he is gone, the way he's gone. I think it could have been handled better. There should have been more communication. If I had anything to do with it, I would have made him captain straight away after Australia,' Ravi Shastri told Sony Sports. Kohli's decision came just days after Rohit Sharma called time on his own Test career. While Rohit's retirement was somewhat expected, Kohli stepping away from the format he loved most caught many off guard." , ..." - Ravi ShastriWatch 'Bharat Tum Chale Chalo, Kahani 21-22 ki' from 15th June, only on Sony LIV & Sony Sports Network TV channels Sony LIV (@SonyLIV) June 11, 2025Sources told India Today that Kohli had informed the BCCI and selectors of his decision in May, and that a key board member had attempted to convince him to stay on for the England Kohli proceeded with his retirement, sharing a heartfelt farewell message in which he explained his reasons for leaving behind the format that 'tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I'll carry for life'.Earlier in May, Ravi Shastri also confirmed that Kohli had spoken to him before taking the major decision regarding his Test career. Kohli finished his red-ball journey with 9,230 runs from 130 will now be without three of their biggest match-winners—Kohli, Rohit, and R Ashwin—for the upcoming tour of England, starting 20 June. The series also marks the beginning of India's new World Test Championship Gill will lead the side, with Rishabh Pant named vice-captain for the five-Test Kohli will continue to play one-day internationals for India. He retired from T20I cricket after winning the World Cup in 2024. Kohli ended his 18-year-long wait for an IPL trophy earlier this month when RCB defeated Punjab Kings in the final to win the elusive crown. You May Also Like
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Ravi Shastri on Virat Kohli's Test retirement: ‘If I had anything to do with it, I would have made him captain after Australia'
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has said that if he had anything to do with the decision-making process, he would have handed over the Test captaincy to Virat Kohli immediately after the Australia series ended earlier this year. The captaincy of the Indian men's test team has been a talking point recently after the retirement of Rohit Sharma in the middle of the Indian Premier League season, after it emerged that the selectors were looking to move on from the veteran opening batter for the five-match series coming up in England. Rohit had earlier stood down from the role ahead of the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, citing his own poor form. Then Kohli too announced his retirement from the red-ball format. The BCCI then handed over the reins of the Test team to Shubman Gill. Ravi Shastri, who had multiple stints in India's dressing room but most crucially as the head coach from 2017-2021 when Kohli was the captain, said that that his retirement could have been handled better. 'It's when you go then, that's when people will realize how big a player he was. I feel sad that he is gone and the way he is gone,' Shastri is quoted as saying by Sony Sports in a promo video for a docu-series released on Wednesday. 'I think it could have been handled better. There should have been more communication. If I had anything to do with it, I would have made him captain straightaway after Australia,' the former India captain added. 🗣️ "𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦…" – Ravi Shastri Watch 'Bharat Tum Chale Chalo, Kahani 21-22 ki' from 15th June, only on Sony LIV & Sony Sports Network TV channels — Sony LIV (@SonyLIV) June 11, 2025 Kohli ended his test career with 9230 runs in 123 matches with an average of 46.85 and 30 centuries. His form too had tapered off in Australia, after starting the series with a century in Perth as India took a 1-0 lead under Jasprit Bumrah's captaincy. Kohli struggled in the channel outside stump, repeatedly edging behind the stumps. But since he retired, there have been calls for him reconsider his decision, while he has also been hailed for making Test cricket a priority right through his career. 'Stats don't do justice. The way he was an ambassador for Test cricket, especially the way he played overseas. I am glad, I was part of it,' Shastri added further. Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar had said, while announcing the Test squad for England, that Kohli reached out in April to inform the BCCI that he was done with Test cricket. 'Virat reached out early April and said he wants to finish,' Agarkar said. 'We've seen him give 200% to every ball that he plays, even when he is not batting or he's in the field. He probably felt that he had given everything that he had and if he can't keep up to the standards that he set for himself over the years, and how good he has been, and maybe it was time for him. It has come from him. You've got to respect that.' Gill-led India will begin the Test series in Leeds on June 20th, in what is a fresh start to a new World Test Championship cycle.
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First Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
'I think it could have been handled better': Ravi Shastri finally breaks silence on Virat Kohli's retirement
Former India coach Ravi Shastri has expressed disappointment over the way Virat Kohli's Test retirement was handled. Shastri said that Kohli deserved to be reinstated as captain after the Australia series. read more Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has finally opened up about Virat Kohli's sudden retirement from Test cricket. Speaking in a video shared by Sony Sports Network, Shastri said he was disappointed with the way the whole situation was handled. Kohli announced his retirement from the longest format last month, just days before the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled the squad for a five-match Test series against England. The news came as a shock to the cricket world. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Shastri breaks silence in Kohli's Test exit Former India coach and Kohli's good friend Ravi Shastri has now reacted to the entire saga, saying that if he had the power, he would have made him the captain after the Australia series, which India lost 2-1. 'When you go, that's when people realize how big a player he was. I feel sad that he is gone, the way he is gone. I think it could have been handled better, there should have been more communication. If I had anything to do with it, I would have made him captain, straightaway after Australia,' Shastri said. His comments came in a promotional video for a special TV show titled 'Bharat Tum Chale Chalo, Kahani 21-22 ki', which will air on 15 June. The show focuses on India's previous Test tour of England in 2022, sharing behind-the-scenes stories and inside moments from that exciting series. Kohli stepped down from Test captaincy in early 2022, after already giving up the T20I and ODI captaincy. Rohit Sharma became the captain of the Indian team across all formats after Kohli's resignation. Rohit helped India dominate the white-ball formats but couldn't achieve much success in red-ball cricket. Kohli and Rohit's retirement marks a new era India lost their first-ever home Test series to New Zealand late last year. After that, India failed to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia down under, resulting in their exit from the World Test Championship race. There were several changes expected in the Test team following the dismal Australia tour. However, fans never imagined that Kohli and Rohit would step down, ending their Test careers abruptly. Fans were expecting a farewell series for India stars, especially after they appeared for a domestic red-ball game as practice after many years following their defeat against Australia. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India are slated to play a Test series against England, starting 20 June. A new-look team has travelled to England for the contest with Shubman Gill as captain and Rishabh Pant as his deputy. It will also mark the start of a new WTC cycle for India.
