As Indian cricket says goodbye to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in Test cricket, former player Yograj Singh opened up about his feelings on their retirement. In a chat with ANI on Wednesday, Yograj, who is also the father of Yuvraj Singh, spoke about the gap their departures could create. He said, Virat is a big player, so losing him will hurt, emphasizing how important Kohli has been to the team. He compared this moment to the team’s struggles back in 2011 when a lot of players left and the team didn’t recover well.
Yograj acknowledged that everyone has their time, but he thinks both Kohli and Rohit still have more cricket to play. I feel there’s a lot of cricket left in them, he said confidently. Reflecting on his son’s retirement, he mentioned, I told Yuvi that retiring was not the right choice. It’s better to leave the game when you’re still able to perform.
He also criticized the trend of depending too much on young players, warning that a team without experienced leaders could struggle. If you fill the team with youngsters, it will eventually break down, he pointed out. He speculated that Kohli might feel he has achieved all he wanted to in cricket, which could have influenced his choice to retire.
When talking about Rohit Sharma, Yograj was especially passionate, suggesting that a bit of daily motivation could have helped him continue his Test career. Rohit just needed someone to encourage him, like to go for a morning run, he explained. He also lamented that both Rohit and Virender Sehwag retired too soon. The best players should be able to play till they’re 50. I’m sad about their retirement because now there’s no one left to inspire the younger players, Yograj said, expressing his disappointment.