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Former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth has given a big statement amid the ongoing three-match ODI series against Afghanistan at home. The former chief selector stressed that the Indian cricket team missed a big opportunity when Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket earlier this year.
After comparing Vaibhav Suryavanshi to Sachin Tendulkar, Srikkanth feels a player of Kohli’s stature deserved a “royal farewell” from the longest format of the game.
Last year, Kohli surprised the cricket world by suddenly retiring from Test cricket. The announcement was made ahead of India’s tour of England after a tough tour of Australia. Earlier, the former Indian captain had retired from T20I cricket in 2024 itself.
Virat Kohli deserved a royal farewell: Kris Srikkanth
However, Kris Srikkanth believes that the England tour would have been the right platform to give a proper farewell to Virat Kohli as he has given a lot to Indian cricket. The former World Cup winner also feels that Kohli retired early from his favorite format.
The former opening batsman believes Indian fans should have been given one last chance to watch one of the country’s greatest Test cricketers play before he retires. Meanwhile, a big update has come on the fitness of Virat Kohli.
This dynamic right-handed batsman was one of the most distinguished batsmen and captains in Test cricket history. The former Indian captain played 123 Test matches, scoring 9,230 runs and scoring 30 centuries.
“I think in my opinion Virat Kohli should have played the Test series in England. He is a player of a different level,” PTI quoted Kris Srikkanth as saying.
“It’s not about age. He has passion and aggression; he is just amazing. In 20-20 cricket, he is amazing, and in the IPL too. Against England, in that series, Virat, honestly, should have gone. I think they should have given him a royal farewell. Someone who has done so much for Indian cricket, they should have given him a royal farewell in Test cricket. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”
Let Virat Kohli decide his own future: Kris Srikkanth
Kohli missed the ongoing ODI series against Afghanistan due to a hamstring problem, leading to speculation about his future in India. But the former Indian captain also clarified that Kohli has earned the right to take decisions about his career, just like Sachin Tendulkar.
Srikkanth further said, “You should leave him alone. Let Virat decide what to do. Like Sachin did. He is the king of kings. He himself will know what to do and what not to do. He is a very balanced person. I like his commitment to the game and he is a big team man.”
Chris Srikkanth counts Virat Kohli among India’s greatest ever captains
The former chief selector praised Kohli as one of the greatest Indian captains despite being unlucky in terms of winning ICC trophies and said that he changed India’s approach to Test cricket and helped create a fearless culture within the team.
Srikkanth signed off by saying, “He has been one of the best captains India has had, especially in Test cricket.” But the only thing is that he was not lucky that he could not win the ICC trophy. But otherwise, in my opinion, he has been one of the best captains India has had.”