Former England spinner Monty Panesar has voiced that the BCCI should have organized farewell Tests for batting legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, along with off-spin great Ravichandran Ashwin, asserting that the trio deserved a more fitting closure for their significant contributions to the sport.
Panesar emphasized that India has fallen short in honoring its retiring stars, likening this to England’s more commendable approach regarding player recognition. He pointed out that England ensured respected players like Stuart Broad and James Anderson had memorable farewell matches.
“The BCCI should have planned farewell Test matches for R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli. They deserved that respect. England celebrates its players when they retire — for example, Stuart Broad and James Anderson were given great farewells — but India falls short in this regard,” Panesar stated.
Kohli and Rohit retired from Test cricket in May last year, while Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket following the third Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia in December 2024.
Kohli, widely regarded as one of the modern greats, ended his 14-year career with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an impressive average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. He retired as the fourth-most successful Test captain overall, behind Graeme Smith (53 wins), Ricky Ponting (48 wins), and Steve Waugh (41 wins).
Rohit scored 4,301 runs from 67 Tests at an average of 40.57, with 12 centuries and 18 fifties. He averaged 42.81 in 66 innings as an opener, hitting nine centuries and eight fifties. Rohit also led India to become runners-up in the 2023 World Test Championship final after losing to Australia at The Oval.
Ashwin concluded his career with 537 wickets at an average of 24 in 106 Tests, making him India’s second-leading wicket-taker after legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble. He also accumulated six Test centuries and 14 fifties. His last international appearance was in the day-night Test in Adelaide, where he recorded figures of 1-53.
In white-ball cricket, Ashwin made 181 appearances, claiming 228 wickets. He played 116 ODIs and took 156 wickets at an average of 33.20, with best figures of 4/25. He scored 707 runs at an average of 16.44, including one fifty, with a highest score of 65 across 63 innings. Ashwin ranks as the 13th-highest wicket-taker in ODIs for India.
In 65 T20Is, he captured 72 wickets at an average of 23.22, with his best figures being 4/8. He also scored 184 runs in 19 innings at an average of 26.28, with a best score of 31, making him the sixth-highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is.
With 765 wickets across 287 matches, he stands as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in all formats, trailing only Kumble (953). Ashwin was also part of the squad that won the 2011 50-Over World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy with India.