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Former England spinner Monty Panesar has said that the BCCI should have done more to honour some of India’s biggest cricket stars. He believes that Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin deserved proper farewell Test matches before retiring from international cricket.Panesar feels that India missed an important chance to celebrate the careers of these players. He compared India’s approach with England, where retired players are often given special farewell games. According to him, such matches show respect for players who have given many years to the sport.
Speaking to IANS, Panesar said, “The BCCI should have planned farewell Test matches for R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli. They deserved that respect. England celebrate its players when they retire — for example, Stuart Broad and James Anderson were given great farewells — but India fall short in this regard.”Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket in May last year. Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket after the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in December 2024.Kohli is considered one of the greatest batters of the modern era. He ended his 14-year Test career with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85. He scored 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. Kohli also had a successful run as India’s Test captain, finishing as the fourth-most successful skipper in Test history.Rohit Sharma played 67 Test matches and scored 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57. He hit 12 centuries and 18 fifties. As an opener, his average was even better at 42.81. Under his leadership, India reached the final of the 2023 World Test Championship, where they finished runners-up.Ravichandran Ashwin ended his Test career with 537 wickets in 106 matches at an average of 24. He is India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests after Anil Kumble. Ashwin also contributed with the bat, scoring six centuries and 14 half-centuries. His final international match was the day-night Test in Adelaide.In white-ball cricket, Ashwin took 228 wickets across ODIs and T20Is. Overall, he finished with 765 international wickets and was part of India’s 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy-winning teams.
