'I think it could have been handled better': Ravi Shastri finally breaks silence on Virat Kohli's retirement

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.

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.

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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.

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.