‘Candid’ Ravi Shastri Feels Virat Kohli Should’ve Been Appointed Indian Test Captain After Failed Australia Tour

Ravi Shastri reflected on Virat Kohli's Test retirement, stating that he should have been made captain after the Australia tour and criticizing BCCI's handling.

‘Candid’ Ravi Shastri Feels Virat Kohli Should’ve Been Appointed Indian Test Captain After Failed Australia Tour

Ravi Shastri reflected on Virat Kohli's decision to retire from Test cricket, last month. (via NDTV Sports)

Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri reflected upon Virat Kohli’s Test retirement, revealing he should have been appointed as Test captain following the Australia tour. Shastri also shared his unfiltered opinion on how the BCCI managed the circumstances surrounding Kohli’s retirement. 

Virat Kohli shocked fans on 12 May 2025, by announcing his retirement from the longest format of the game, through a social media message, ending his 13-year long red-ball career with the Indian team. Furthermore, Kohli’s announcement came just days before the BCCI was set to reveal India’s squad for the five-match Test series in England, leading to speculation about the reasons behind his departure.

Many suggested that the 36-year-old’s retirement stemmed from the intense criticism surrounding his poor showing in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In that series, he managed only 190 runs across 10 innings, averaging a mere 23.75. Some others speculated that the BCCI’s refusal to reinstate him as India’s Test captain following Rohit Sharma’s departure might have upset him, leading to his decision.

Virat Kohli, after having announced his retirement, joined former South African opener Hashim Amla, to end his career before reaching the 10,000-runs milestone in Test cricket. It has therefore, left a gaping hole in the hearts of many, including former India coach and one of Kohli’s biggest admirers, Ravi Shastri. From Kohli’s meteoric rise to India’s uninterrupted period of dominance, Shastri has witnessed it all.

Speaking about Virat Kohli’s sudden retirement, Shastri exclaimed that he still had much to offer in red-ball cricket. Aware of the his decision to retire as early as April, Ravi Shastri, in an interaction on Sony Sports, emotionally stated that Kohli had served as an “ambassador” for Test cricket in India for the last decade. He further emphasized that Kohli’s irreplaceable value to the team would only be fully appreciated, now that he has retired from the team. He said:

Virat [Kohli] has announced his retirement from Test matches, which is sad, you know, because he’s a great player. It’s about the way he carried himself, especially as an ambassador for Test match cricket. –

Surprisingly, the the 63-year-old also went on to question the BCCI’s miscommunication and handling of the retirement situation, asserting that Virat Kohli deserved a better farewell. Shastri further stated that the BCCI selection committee missed an opportunity to reappoint Virat Kohli as the Indian Test captain after the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a decision he himself would have made.

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 have made him captain, straightaway after Australia.

Virat Kohli’s exceptional record as Team India’s Test captain clearly demonstrates his leadership prowess in the longest format. Between 2014 and 2022, he led the team in 68 matches, securing 40 victories for a remarkable 58.8 percent success rate, making him India’s most-successful red-ball skipper.

Ravi Shastri had words of praise for MS Dhoni following his Induction in ICC Hall of Fame 

Ravi Shastri hilariously compared former Indian skipper MS Dhoni’s quick wicket-keeping abilities with that of a pickpocket, leaving fans in splits. Shastri speaking at the ICC Ceremony, where Dhoni was inducted in the prestigious Hall of Fame. 

Ravi Shastri on MS Dhoni wicket-keeping
Ravi Shastri bizarely compared MS Dhoni’s wicket-keeping abilities to that of a pickpocket. (via X)

MS Dhoni is now the 11th Indian player to receive this honor, a testament to his leadership in securing three major ICC trophies. The former India wicket-keeper is renowned for his incredibly swift glove-work, which led to countless dismissals through sharp catches and stumpings.

This unique attribute prompted Ravi Shastri to humorously liken Dhoni’s precision and speed to that of a pickpocket, who swiftly takes what he desired and vanishes.

He [MS Dhoni] has hands faster than a pickpocket. If you’re ever in India, going for a big game, especially in Ahmedabad, you don’t want MS behind you; watch that back. The wallet will disappear.

MS Dhoni holds the record for most stumpings in international cricket, having dismissed batters short of their crease 195 times in more than 500 appearances for the Indian cricket team. He is also the third-most successful wicket-keeper in the history of the game, with 829 dismissals to his name.