The Indian cricket team is currently in England, where they’re set to play a 5-match Test series under the captaincy of Shubman Gill. This series marks the team’s first after Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket. Former cricketer and Team India coach Ravi Shastri has weighed in on the situation, stating that it could have been handled better.
Shastri believes that if he had a role in the process, he would have made Kohli the captain after the Australia tour. In a conversation with Sony Sports, Shastri expressed his disappointment with how things unfolded, emphasizing the need for more dialogue. He suggested that giving Kohli a farewell Test would have been a more fitting way to end his Test career.
Kohli had announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 12 via an Instagram post, just five days after Rohit Sharma made a similar announcement. The back-to-back retirements of two cricket legends left fans feeling let down, with many expressing their desire to see them receive a farewell Test. According to sources within the BCCI, Kohli had informed the selectors of his decision before making it public, although some members had hoped he would participate in the England tour due to his valuable experience.
The Indian cricket team last won a Test series in England in 2007 under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy. Since then, they have played series under the captaincy of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli but failed to secure a series win. With Kohli and Rohit Sharma now focusing on the ODI format, the team is looking to bounce back from their recent Test performances.