'Could've been handled....': Ravi Shastri gets emotional talking about Virat Kohli’s Test retirement, blames BCCI for lack of communication

Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 12, 2025, by sharing a heartfelt message on his Instagram account. The news spread rapidly, leading to various speculations regarding the reasons behind his retirement just before Team India's new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. While Kohli's Ranji coach Sarandeep Singh expressed his surprise, stating that the 36-year-old aimed to score centuries in India's upcoming five-match Test series against England, some reports indicated that Kohli made the decision to step back voluntarily. Former India coach and cricketer Ravi Shastri shared his perspective on the star player's retirement.

Shastri believes that Virat Kohli's Test retirement could have been managed more effectively, as he deserved a proper farewell, and mentioned that he would have reinstated him as captain following the Australia series. Kohli concluded his Test career last month, having played 123 matches, scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries.

"I feel sad that he's gone the way he has — suddenly. I think it could have been handled better, maybe with more communication. If I had anything to do with it, I would’ve made him captain straight after Australia," Shastri said.

Ravi Shastri weighs in on Virat Kohli's Test retirement 

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"Virat has announced his retirement from Test matches, which is sad, you know because he's a great player. A great player. It's only when you go that people truly realise how big a player you were. Stats don’t do justice — it’s about the way he carried himself, especially as an ambassador for Test match cricket, particularly overseas. The way he played at Lord’s, and how his team turned things around — it was unreal. And I’m glad I was a part of it," added Shastri in an interaction with Sony Sports.

Virat Kohli made his Test debut against the West Indies in 2011. Throughout his illustrious career, the 36-year-old has participated in 210 innings in the Test format, amassing a total of 9,230 runs, with his highest individual score being 254*. He has achieved 30 centuries and 31 fifties across 123 matches, positioning him as the fourth-highest run-scorer for India in red-ball cricket.

Among all his opponents, he has scored the most runs against Australia, totaling 2,232 runs against the Kangaroos. The year 2018 was particularly remarkable for him, as he accumulated 1,322 runs, marking the highest total he has achieved in a single calendar year.

In the wake of Kohli's retirement and the departure of skipper Rohit Sharma from the format, the selectors have appointed Shubman Gill as the captain for the upcoming England series, which is set to commence on June 20.

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