Suggesting that Virat Kohli deserved a proper farewell, former India coach and cricketer Ravi Shastri said the India titan's Test retirement could have been handled better. He added that he would have made Kohli captain of the side after the Australia tour.
Kohli hung up his Test bat in May 2025, ending up with 123 matches and 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 hundreds. "When you go, that's when people realise 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," Shastri said in a SonyLiv video.
The modern-day great's decision to retire came just days before the Indian squad for the five-Test series against England was to be announced. Shastri, who coached India during their historic Test series wins in Australia under Kohli's leadership, said he would have reinstated him as captain after India's 1-3 loss to Australia earlier this year.
"If I had anything to do with it, I would have made him captain, straightaway after Australia," Shastri said.
After Kohli's retirement and skipper Rohit Sharma's exit from the red-ball format, selectors named Shubman Gill as captain for the England series, which starts on June 20.
(With PTI inputs)
