“Can’t believe you are done” - Former India coach shocked at Virat Kohli’s Test retirement ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 series 

Former India coach Ravi Shastri has paid his tribute to Virat Kohli, who announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, May 12. Writing on X, the 62-year-old expressed shock that the right-handed batter would no longer play for India in the longest format of the game.

Shastri referred to Kohli as a "fantastic ambassador" for Test cricket and wished him well for the future.

"Can’t believe you are done. You are a modern-day GIANT and were a fantastic ambassador for Test match cricket in every way you played and captained. Thank you for the lasting memories you’ve given to everyone, and to me in particular. It’s something I will cherish for life. Go well, champ. God bless," Shastri wrote on X on Monday.

Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri combined to usher in one of India's most successful phases in Test history

Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri served as India's captain-coach combination in two different phases. After a short stint in 2014-2015, the duo reunited in 2017, when Shastri replaced Anil Kumble as head coach of the side.

The duo combined to script some of India's most memorable wins, especially overseas. The team won Tests in South Africa and England in 2018 and the crowning moment came in 2018-19, when India beat Australia in a Test series Down Under for the first time in their history.

Shastri and Kohli also combined to create history in white-ball cricket, when India won their first bilateral ODI series in South Africa in 2018. Shastri resigned as the coach of the Indian team after the T20 World Cup in the UAE in 2021. It was also Kohli's last assignment as the T20 skipper.

A few months after Shastri's resignation, Kohli resigned as India's Test captain in January 2022 as the most successful leader in the country's Test history.