Ravi Shastri in a state of shock after Virat Kohli's Test retirement; states this
Published - 12 May 2025, 07:21 PM | Updated - 12 May 2025, 07:30 PM
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One of the best Indian batters, Virat Kohli, announced his sudden retirement from Test cricket on May 12, Monday. The 14-year remarkable Test career ended without a farewell Test match. The former Indian player Ravi Shastri was in shock after Kohli announced his retirement.
Shastri served as the Indian head coach from 2017 to 2022, and the duo of Shastri and Virat Kohli witnessed many memorable overseas Test series wins. Shastri is the first Indian coach, and Kohli is the first Indian Test skipper to win a Test series against Australia in Australia.
Read also: Virat Kohli mentioned by DGMO in Indian Armed Forces' Operation Sindoor briefing
Ravi Shastri - Virat Kohli Test record
The former cricketer and commentator got a surprise call from the BCCI to take over the charge of the Indian cricket team in 2017. Shastri and Kohli's inspiring partnership in the field and off the field took India's Test cricket to great heights.
Virat Kohli and Shastri played 40 Test matches together and won 23 out of those, and four games were drawn. The Indian team reached the number one position in Test cricket. Kohli-Shastri duo also took India to the first-ever final of the World Test Championship in 2021.
The best moment of this duo came in 2021 when India won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia for the first time ever in history.
"Can’t believe you are done. You are a modern-day GIANT and were a fantastic ambassador for Test match cricket in every way you played and captained. Thank you for the lasting memories you’ve given to everyone, and to me in particular. It’s something I will cherish for life. Go well, champ. God bless," Shastri wrote for Virat Kohli on his social media handle.
Can’t believe you are done. You are a modern-day GIANT and were a fantastic ambassador for Test match cricket in every way you played and captained. Thank you for the lasting memories you’ve given to everyone, and to me in particular. It’s something I will cherish for life. Go… pic.twitter.com/1te6LFGdMx
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) May 12, 2025
Kohli lost shine after Shastri's departure
Fans were pointing out Kohli's Test form as he had never looked the same in a white jersey after Shastri's head coach tenure ended in 2022.
In Shastri's tenure, Kohli made four double-centuries in Test cricket. He never lost a Test series in India.
Who will replace Virat Kohli in Tests?
The Indian team will not have the same quality after Kohli's exit from Test cricket. But the management has some top-class players like KL Rahul, who will be the first-choice player to replace Kohli at number 4. He has the potential to bat at number 4 for the Indian team in Test cricket.
The door for Rajat Patidar also opened after Kohli's departure, as he showed his class in first-class cricket. His domestic cricket records will put him ahead of others for the number 4 batter.
The left-hand batter Sai Sudarshan is yet to make his Test debut, and his consistent performance in all formats of the game stunned everyone. Kohli's departure will also open the gates for Sudarshan in the Indian Test squad, and selectors might groom him as the next number 4 batter to solidify the Indian Test batting unit.
