Kamal Ghorui
Former India cricketer Yograj Singh has stirred a fresh debate around longevity and relevance in Indian cricket, taking a sharp dig at Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma amid growing conversations around age and retirement.With both Kohli and Rohit now active only in one format after stepping away from T20Is following India’s 2024 World Cup triumph and retiring from Test cricket last year, discussions around their future have intensified as IPL 2026 begins. Yograj, however, dismissed such talk in his trademark blunt style, urging players to let performance do the talking.“Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are young cricketers and they want to quit. Laanat hai zindagi pe. Make the world realise that you are the best, that you are indispensable. Even if you are fifty years old and still scoring a double hundred, no one will drop you. So this age factor is very funny in this country,” Yograj Singh said in an interview with Inside Sports.His comments come at a time when debates around senior players have extended beyond Kohli and Rohit to MS Dhoni as well. Questions have been raised about Dhoni’s role at Chennai Super Kings, with some suggesting he should be used as an Impact Player, while others believe he should continue as a regular and bat higher up the order.Interestingly, Yograj, who has often been critical of Dhoni in the past, especially over his son Yuvraj Singh’s career, had only praise for the former India captain this time. He strongly opposed calls for Dhoni’s retirement and backed him to continue playing for years.“He (Dhoni) is still playing and should keep on doing so for the next 10 years. Because he has proved his fitness with the right discipline and dedication. I still see his forearm, amazing man. Who the hell are people to tell him to retire? No. As far as cricket is concerned, hats off to him,” Yograj added.At 44, Dhoni has gradually transitioned into a more limited on-field role, often arriving late in the innings to provide quick runs, while also taking on mentoring responsibilities within the squad. With Chennai Super Kings bringing in Sanju Samson, who could take over wicketkeeping duties, Dhoni’s role may evolve further this season.
