'Greats should play till 50' - Yograj Singh makes bold verdict on Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's early Test retirement

The sudden respective Test retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat has left a huge void in the Indian team. While fans and ex-cricketers showered huge praise on their brilliant careers, former cricketer Yograj Singh has given a different reaction, calling their exits early and warning of a leadership vacancy in the red-ball format.

Kohli and Rohit played 190 Tests combined, forming the backbone of India’s batting line-up. Their retirements have not only left two crucial spots vacant in India’s core batting unit, but have also brought an end to their leadership duties.

With their exit, the team is now in the process of a major change ahead of their anticipated five-match Test series in England and a new World Test Championship cycle. Yograj expressed his disappointment and mentioned the duo should have served India longer, and should have continued for much longer than they have before calling it a day.

"Virat is a big player, so it will obviously be a loss. Maybe Virat feels that he has nothing more left to achieve. I think Rohit Sharma needed just one person to motivate him daily, for example, to go for a run at 5 AM. Rohit (Sharma) and Virender Sehwag are two people who retired too early. 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," he said as quoted by NDTV.

Yuvi did not retire at the right time, says father Yograj

He also criticized the over-reliance on youth and mentioned the time of his son Yuvraj Singh's retirement. According to the 67-year-old, one should retire only when one can no longer play.

"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. If you form a team full of youngsters, it will always fall apart," he added.