Former England spinner Monty Panesar believes that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should have organized farewell Test matches for Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin to honor their contributions to the game. Panesar compared India’s approach to retiring players with England’s tradition of giving memorable farewell matches to legends like Stuart Broad and James Anderson.
Kohli and Rohit retired from Test cricket in May last year, while Ashwin bid adieu to international cricket after the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia in December 2024. Kohli, known as one of the modern greats, concluded his career with 9230 runs in 123 matches, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. Rohit amassed 4,301 runs in 67 Tests with 12 centuries and 18 fifties, while Ashwin took 537 wickets in 106 Tests and became India’s second-highest wicket-taker.
Ashwin also had a successful white-ball career, with 228 wickets in 181 appearances in limited-overs cricket. In ODIs, he claimed 156 wickets in 116 matches and scored 707 runs. Additionally, in T20Is, Ashwin took 72 wickets in 65 matches and contributed with the bat as well. Overall, he stands as India’s second-highest wicket-taker across all formats, trailing only Anil Kumble.
