Virat Kohli's absence will haunt India for long- India selector curses Rohit Sharma retirement

Indian cricket is still not able to digest the sudden retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket earlier this year, in May, and now the former World Cup winner Kris Srikkanth has launched a fresh attack on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Kris Srikkanth has accused the BCCI of mishandling the retirements of two of India’s biggest legends, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Rohit was the first to step away from red-ball cricket in May, and within days, Kohli followed him and stunned the entire cricket world.

Kris Srikkanth criticizes BCCI over Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirements

But what shocked everyone was that either Rohit or Kohli didn’t get a farewell match. And Kris Srikkanth believes this was the result of a massive communication gap between the BCCI and the two stalwarts.

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The former Indian chief selector believes that both Virat and Rohit should have been celebrated properly for their contributions to Test cricket.

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Kris Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, “If you play 100 tests for your country, you must be a terrific cricketer. So, you should be given a good send-off. I am convinced there was a big communication gap when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired. They should have spoken to them, but instead, this is not a good look for the game and Indian cricket.”

India will find it difficult to get a cricketer like Virat Kohli: Kris Srikkanth

The former India opener also pointed out that Kohli still had a couple of good years left in him as a Test cricketer. He suggested that India will struggle to find a cricketer of Kohli’s caliber in the near future.

Srikkanth further noted, “Virat Kohli's retirement happened just like that. Virat Kohli deserved a better send-off. He still had two years of Test cricket left in him. But because we drew in England, such talks about him got shut off. However, India will find it difficult to get a cricketer like Virat Kohli for some time.”

Kris Srikkanth blasts BCCI over Cheteshwar Pujara's retirement

The former Indian chief selector also dragged another big name into the controversy, and he is Cheteshwar Pujara, who recently called time on his career. He claimed that just like Rohit and Virat, Pujara also didn’t get a farewell Test and slammed the BCCI for not showing the respect that the modern-day legends truly deserved.

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He felt the BCCI should have at least discussed Pujara’s retirement since he had been out of the team since 2023 and ensured he had a proper send-off. Srikkanth stressed that retirements are not just personal calls but a matter that requires cooperation between the player, selectors, and the board.

Srikkanth signed off by saying, “Similarly, with Pujara, though it's been a while since he played for India, they should have spoken to him also about his retirement plans. Of course, the player also has to cooperate and realize when their time is up. Had that happened, Pujara would have gotten a better send-off. But it's a matter of cooperation between the player, selectors, and the BCCI.”