Virat Kohli and Shakib Al Hasan(Twitter)
Star India batter Virat Kohli gifted his bat to all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan after the conclusion of the second Test between India and Bangladesh at Green Park, Kanpur. Ahead of the second Test, Shakib noted that the Test series against South Africa will be his last dance in red-ball cricket but as things stand, the cricketer may not return to Bangladesh to feature in the series amid the ongoing political turmoil in the country..
This indicates that the cricketer might just have played his last Test already. After Day 4 of the Test, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla was asked if the board or the Indian team planned anything special for Shakib on Day 5, and the veteran administrator stated that they did not received any official communication from Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
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“We were under the impression that Shakib will play his last game at home next month. Officially, nothing has been informed to us about his retirement. If we hear anything formally, we will definitely think over it,” Shukla said in the press conference.
Virat Kohli gifted his signed bat to Shakib Al Hasan and congratulated him❤️
– King Kohli as always! 🥹🫡 pic.twitter.com/8RHS27i9lw
— प्रशिक्षित 🇮🇳 (@Prashikshit7) October 1, 2024
Meanwhile, Kohli gifting a bat to the veteran cricketer after the game in a moment that went viral on social media. Shakib has represented Bangladesh in 71 Tests and scored 4609 runs at an average of 37.77. He also has 246 wickets in the longest format. He was also part of the squad that defeated Pakistan in the two-match Test series away from home before the series against India.
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Shakib’s retirement, meanwhile, is a massive blow to Bangladesh as he has unarguably been their greatest all-rounder and has proven match-winner across formats. Having said that, his form dipped in red-ball cricket in recent times and the series against Pakistan and India are perfect examples of it. Shakib scored 66 runs in four innings and picked up four wickets in the series against India.