‘Baton not passed, but thrown to Shubman Gill’: Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma 'should have played for another 5 years'

Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma announced their retirements from Test cricket (BCCI Photo)

Yograj Singh, former Indian cricketer and father of Yuvraj Singh, criticized the premature retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, stating that their decisions were not well-timed. Shubman Gill, who is still trying to prove himself as a reliable red-ball player, was named the next Test captain after the key retirements forced India into a transitional phase with little preparation. The Indian side will begin the new cycle of World Test Championship (WTC) with a five-match Test series against England, starting from June 20.

With some new players like Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and comeback man Karun Nair in the squad, the team will be sternly tested during the England tour as fans hope for the transition to be as seamless as possible.

The retirements of two batting mainstays were questioned by Yograj, who expressed that 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.

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According to Yograj, who is renowned for his bold views, Rohit and Kohli failed to pass the baton to 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.

In addition to reflecting on his son Yuvraj's departure, the former cricketer said that he, too, left the game too soon and disregarded 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."

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Rohit made a total of 67 Test appearances, in which he amassed 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, including 12 hundreds and 18 fifties.

Kohli also called it quits from the format a few days later, capping an incredible 14-year run which saw him play 123 Tests. Kohli was instrumental in making India a formidable force in the format and he signed off with 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85. He scored 30 hundreds and 31 fifties and is India's fourth-leading scorer in the format.