Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh advised Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as the T20 World Cup 2024 is nearing suggesting that they should give up on playing T20I cricket to concentrate on other formats.
Rohit and Virat are two of the most important players in the Indian squad as their presence holds significant importance inside the dressing room. Both the stars have been playing for the Blues for the last 14-15 years and are now nearing the end of their magnificent careers.
Sharma was part of the squad that won the 2007 T20 World Cup by beating Pakistan in the final but he has never won the 50-over World Cup. Oppositely, Kohli has won the 50-over World Cup but never got his hands on the T20 World Cup despite coming so close in 2014 and 2016.
As India continue to produce talent, there have been talks about whether the two should continue for the Blues or if it is time to introduce new players. Yuvraj didn’t put an end to their careers but suggested that they should focus on Test and ODI cricket and make way for the youngsters after the World Cup ends.
"As you get older people start talking about your age and they forget about your form," Yuvraj said as quoted by the ICC. "These guys have been great players for India and they deserve to go (retire) when they want.
"I would like to see more younger players in the T20 format, because it gets the load off them (experienced players) playing 50-over (ODIs) and Test matches.
"After this (T20) World Cup I would like to see a lot of younger guys come into the team and make the T20 side for the next World Cup."
It is worth mentioning that both, Kohli and Sharma, are expected to be part of the World Cup squad that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will announce in the coming days.
Remember, India is in Group A with arch-rivals Pakistan and the two sides will take on one another in one of the most anticipated matches of the World Cup on June 9 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York.
Group A:India, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, United States
Group B:England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, Oman
Group C:New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua NewGuinea
Group D:South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal