Ravi Shastri Blames BCCI for Virat Kohli’s Test Retirement; Shares How He Would’ve Stopped It

The official messaging from chief selector Ajit Agarkar is that the 36-year-old batter reached out to him in early April and expressed his desire to retire from the longest format.

However, many people don’t believe his comments because Kohli always kept Test cricket at the highest pedestal. Some reports even suggest that the star batter wanted the Test captaincy, but his request was turned down

After fulfilling his 18-year-long dream of winning the IPL with RCB, he reiterated the same, saying his IPL triumph was five levels below the joy he got from winning Test matches in challenging conditions.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, who had a great working relationship with Kohli, like many fans, is finding it difficult to come to terms with the star batter’s shocking retirement from Test cricket.

Shastri is particularly miffed at the way the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), the selectors, and the team management handled this whole situation, bringing his glorious Test career to an abrupt end without any farewell.

Shastri feels that the selectors and team management could have handled it better by communicating with the player and addressing any concerns he may have had.

“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 on Sony Sports Network.

The former all-rounder also shared what he would have done, if he were at the helm, to convince Kohli to reconsider his decision and continue playing Test cricket.

After India lost to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Shastri said he would have handed over the leadership back to Kohli straightaway.

“If I had anything to do with it, I would have made him captain, straightaway after Australia,” he added.

Kohli’s departure has left a massive hole in India’s Test batting lineup at the number four position. It would be interesting to see who takes up this role in the upcoming Test series in England.