Virat Kohli tipped for ‘royal send-off’ by Kris Srikkanth

Former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth has made a bold 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 Sooryavanshi with Sachin Tendulkar, Srikkanth feels a player of Kohli’s stature deserved a “royal send-off” from the longest format of the game.

Kohli stunned the cricket world with his sudden retirement from Test cricket last year. The announcement was made before India’s tour of England following the tough tour of Australia. Before that, the former Indian captain was already retired from T20I cricket in 2024.

Virat Kohli deserved a Royal Send-Off: Kris Srikkanth

However, Kris Srikkanth believes that the England tour would have been the perfect stage to give Virat Kohli a deserving farewell, as he has given so much to Indian cricket. The former World Cup winner also feels Kohli retired from his favorite format early.

The former opener believes that Indian fans should have been given one last chance to watch one of the country’s greatest Test cricketers in action before he retired. Amid this, a big update came on Virat Kohli’s fitness.

The dashing right-hander was one of the most iconic batters and captains in Test cricket history. The former Indian captain played 123 Test matches, scoring 9,230 runs and hitting 30 centuries.

Kris Srikkanth was quoted as saying by PTI: “I think Virat Kohli should have played the Test series in England, in my opinion. He is a different level.

“It is not about age. He’s got the passion and aggression; he’s simply amazing. In 20-20 cricket, he is amazing, and in the IPL as well. Against England, in that series, Virat should have gone, frankly speaking. I think they should have given him a royal send-off. For someone who has done so much for Indian cricket, they should have given him a royal send-off in Test cricket. Unfortunately, it did not happen.”

Let Virat Kohli decide his own future: Kris Srikkanth

Kohli missed the ongoing ODI series against Afghanistan due to hamstring issues, which sparked speculations about his future in India. But the former Indian captain also made it clear that Kohli has earned the right to make his own decisions about his career just like Sachin Tendulkar.

Srikkanth further added, “You should let him alone. Let Virat decide what to do. Like what Sachin did. He is king of kings. He himself would know what to do and what not to do. He is a very balanced guy. I like his commitment to the game, and he is a big team man.”

Kris Srikkanth rates Virat Kohli among India’s greatest-ever captains

The former chief selector also hailed Kohli as one of the greatest Indian captains despite being unlucky when it comes to winning the ICC trophy, saying he transformed India’s approach in Test cricket and helped create a fearless culture within the team.

Srikkanth signed off by saying, “He’s been one of the best captains India has produced, especially in Test cricket.” But it’s just that he’s not been lucky that he could not win an ICC trophy. But otherwise, in my opinion, he has been one of the best captains India has produced.”