Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has acknowledged that he would have appointed Virat Kohli because the Indian Check captain straightaway after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25. Kohli introduced his retirement from red-ball cricket in Might 2025, shortly after Rohit Sharma’s Check retirement, resulting in discussions about management throughout the Indian Check setup. Notably, India are set to face England in a vital five-match Check sequence beginning June 20 at Headingley, with Shubman Gill set to takeover the cpataincy duties.
“I really feel unhappy that he has gone, the way in which he has gone. Sadly, I feel it [retirement] may have been dealt with higher, there ought to have been extra communication. If I had something to do with it, I’d have made him the captain right away after Australia,” stated Shastri.
Shastri is thought to be some of the influential coaches in Indian cricket, having shaped a formidable partnership with Kohli. The duo first labored collectively between 2014 and 2016, and once more from 2017 to 2021, throughout which era Indian cricket reached a number of milestones. Beneath their management, India reached the 2019 ICC World Cup semifinal and scripted historic Check sequence wins in Australia, as soon as in 2018/19, and once more in 2020-21.
Kohli made his Check debut in opposition to the West Indies in 2011 at Kingston, Jamaica. Through the years, he grew to develop into the spine of the Indian batting unit. One of many highlights of his profession got here in 2019 throughout the Pune Check in opposition to South Africa, the place he registered his highest Check rating of 254*.
However, within the final 5 years of his Check profession, Kohli’s kind dipped significantly. He averaged solely 30.72 throughout the stated interval, managing simply three centuries and 9 half-centuries. Total, he performed 123 Checks (210 innings) and completed merely 770 runs in need of the ten,000-run milestone within the format. He had already bid farewell to T20Is final 12 months. Kohli’s sole focus now stays on representing India within the 50-over format.
Get each cricket updates! Observe Us: