As Indian cricket bids farewell to two of its modern-day greats, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the Test arena, former cricketer Yograj Singh has shared his emotional and critical take on their retirement. While speaking to ANI on Wednesday, the father of former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh reflected on the potential void the two stalwarts leave behind. "Virat is a big player, so it will obviously be a loss," Yograj said, underlining Kohli's stature and influence in the longest format of the game.
He drew parallels to India's transition phase in 2011, adding, "When many players were either removed, retired, or coerced into retirement in 2011, the team fell apart and has still not stood back up."
Though he acknowledged that "everyone's time comes," Yograj believes both Kohli and Rohit still have cricket left in them.
"I feel a lot of cricket is still left in Virat and Rohit," he asserted.
Reflecting on his son Yuvraj Singh's exit from international cricket, Yograj remarked, "I told Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) that it was not the right move when he was retiring. One should walk away from the field when one can no longer walk."
Yograj didn't shy away from criticizing the current trend of over-reliance on youth, warning that a lack of experienced leaders could destabilize the team.
"If you form a team full of youngsters, it will always fall apart," he said.
"Maybe Virat feels that he has nothing more left to achieve," he added, suggesting that inner satisfaction might have influenced Kohli's decision.
Turning his attention to Rohit Sharma, Yograj was particularly vocal, suggesting that with the right support, the Indian skipper could have extended his red-ball career.
"I think Rohit Sharma needed just one person to motivate him daily, for example, to go for a run at 5 AM," he said.
"Rohit (Sharma) and Virender Sehwag are two people who retired too early," he added.
"The greatest players should play till 50 years of age... I am sad about their retirement as no one is left to motivate the youngsters now," Yograj said, showing his disappointment.
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