'Virat was a bit bitter' - Wasim Jaffer questions Ajit Agarkar's handling of Kohli before Test retirement

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has publicly questioned how chief selector Ajit Agarkar managed Virat Kohli in the period leading up to Kohli's retirement from Test cricket. Kohli announced his retirement from the format on May 12, 2025, five days after Rohit Sharma had done the same on May 7, 2025. Jaffer made his remarks on October 10, 2026, shortly after Agarkar's three-year tenure as chief selector came to an end, with Pragyan Ojha stepping in as interim chief selector.

Agarkar had previously disclosed that Kohli reached out in early April 2025, weeks before the public announcement on May 12, to convey his wish to retire from Test cricket. Agarkar's stated position was that the decision was entirely Kohli's own and that the board did not interfere in the matter.

"It felt like Virat was a bit bitter about the way he was treated. A player like Virat brings people to the ground. He has such a following. He definitely could have played more Test cricket." He added: "Till we hear it from Virat's mouth, we won't know. He was preparing for the England tour," Jaffer said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

Why did Jaffer question Agarkar's handling of Kohli?

Jaffer's concern centred on the manner in which Agarkar's selection panel dealt with senior players, with Kohli's case being the most prominent example. While Agarkar maintained that Kohli's retirement was a personal and autonomous decision, Jaffer felt the circumstances surrounding it suggested the player may not have been managed as well as he deserved.

Jaffer also pointed to the treatment of Suryakumar Yadav, who was dropped after India won the T20 World Cup, as part of a broader pattern of player management that he believed could have been handled more carefully. He was careful, however, to acknowledge the limits of his own knowledge, noting that the full picture of Kohli's situation may only emerge if Kohli himself speaks about it publicly.

The question of whether Agarkar's handling directly influenced Kohli's decision to retire remains unresolved. Jaffer raised the concern but stopped short of drawing a firm conclusion, and Agarkar's account places the decision entirely with the player.

How did Jaffer rate Agarkar's overall tenure as chief selector?

Despite his reservations about player management, Jaffer acknowledged the considerable achievements recorded under Agarkar's watch. Agarkar's three-year stint as chief selector saw India win the T20 World Cup 2024, the Champions Trophy 2025 and the T20 World Cup 2026, making it a period of sustained white-ball success for the national side.

"We have done very well in white-ball cricket. We won two World Cups, the Asia Cup, and the Champions Trophy. So we have won trophies. I would give him 7 marks out of 10. I think how he handled some people could have been better," Jaffer added.

With Agarkar's tenure now concluded and Ojha serving as interim chief selector, the focus for Indian cricket shifts to how the new selection setup will approach player management going forward.