Yograj Singh rips into Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma for untimely retirements: 'Baton not passed but thrown to Shubman Gill'

Hindustan Times

18 hours ago

The untimely retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma drew flak as forrmer India cricketer Yograj Singh criticised the timing of their decision. The major retirements pushed India into a period of transition with limited preparation, as Shubman Gill — still looking to establish himself as a dependable red-ball player — was appointed the new Test captain. The Indian team will kickstart the next World Test Championship with the five-match Test series against England right after the retirements of Kohli, Rohit and R Ashwin.
The England tour will be a significant challenge for Shubman and his team as they aim to navigate the transitional phase as smoothly as possible with some fresh faces like Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran and comeback man Karun Nair in the squad.
Yograj, father of veteran all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, questioned the retirements of the two batting stalwarts, insisting they still had five years of Test cricket left in them.
"Virat and Rohit shouldn't have retired from Tests. I told Rohit to get up at 5 AM and run for 20 km to keep himself fit. Virat and Rohit can still play for another 5 years in Test cricket. They should have played," Yograj told Inside Sport.
Yograj, who is known for blunt and bold opinions, stated that Rohit and Kohli did not hand the baton to the youngsters.
They should be there to see that the baton is passed to the youngsters. The baton has not been passed, it has been thrown to Gill," he added.
The former cricketer also reflected on his son Yuvraj Singh's retirement, stating that he, too, stepped away from the game prematurely and chose not to heed his advice.
"Even when Yuvraj was retiring I promised him that I will help him become India captain and that we will throw everybody out but he quit."
Rohit drew the curtain on his Test career on May 7 after turning out for India in 67 matches. He made his debut in whites against the West Indies in November 2013 and went on to score 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, compiling 12 hundreds and 18 fifties along the way.
A few days later Kohli also chose to bring his Test career to a close, putting an end to a remarkable 14-year era that spanned 123 matches. During his tenure, Kohli played a pivotal role in turning India into a dominant force in Test cricket. Across his 14-year Test career, Virat amassed 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85 — a tally that includes 30 hundreds and 31 fifties — and leaves him as India's fourth-leading scorer in the format.