Yograj Singh, the ex-India cricketer and his outspoken nature has once again spoken up, in favor of Rohit Sharma. The former India pacer hailed the ODI captain as a great talent and one with a long career saying that the people doubting him are wrong. T20Is and Tests now behind him, Rohit has become a less frequent face, but Yograj says the opener has much to offer yet should he step up his fitness routine.
Rohit Sharma’s ODI Brilliance
The last time Rohit played international cricket was in March when he captained India to win a champions trophy where he made a match winning 76 off 83 balls against New Zealand in the final. That innings earned him the Player of the Match award and as Yograj would explain to you, that was the innings that showed his lofty heights of 50-over cricket.
“The man about whom so many people speak rubbish, Rohit Sharma — I said that day that Rohit will be my man, the man, my man,” Yograj told News18 CricketNext.
He went on to say, “The way he batted, his batting one side and the rest of the team’s batting on the other side. His innings on one side and the rest of the world on the other. That’s his class. You can say, ‘Rohit, aapki hume 5 saal aur zarurat hai yaar’ (Rohit, we need you for five more years, man) so please do more for your country, work on your fitness and everything. Put four men on him, make him run 10 kilometres every morning. He has the class to play till 45 years of age, if he wants.”
Fitness and Longevity Advice
According to Yograj, Rohit has a future in cricket depending on fitness. He thinks that the star opener could easily continue his career even through many years to come provided he is committed to hard training. According to Yograj, the right fitness and form is the combination that can make one remain relevant in the international scene.
He did not leave out those external critics who criticize Rohit without even playing a single competitive match of cricket. “I believe you should play domestic cricket; the more you play that, the fitter you’ll be. Who got the Man of the Match in the final? Rohit Sharma. So you should only talk about things that you know. If you want to talk about his game and fitness, do that only if you have played at some level. Do you feel ashamed for talking like this?”
The Debate on Rohit’s Future
Though nothing has been said officially it has been reported that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are considering quitting ODIs after the next series in Australia. The possible call may also be in line with the BCCI policy of the players concentrating on the domestic white-ball tournaments, in particular, the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Fans and ex-cricketers such as Yograj Singh are of the opinion that Rohit has a lot to offer provided he keeps his fitness in shape and leads by example. The Champions Trophy performance is a witness of his standard and legacy in the limited-overs cricket.
