As the countdown for the start of T20 World Cup 2024 gains momentum, the chatter around the form of India captain Rohit Sharma has also intensified. Rohit hasn’t had the best of IPL for Mumbai Indians and his future in the Indian team has been regularly questioned. Though Rohit will lead the team in the T20 World Cup, it isn’t yet known for how long he plans to continue playing international cricket. Age is also a big factor among players when it comes to deciding retirement age, and Rohit is 37 already. However, Yograj Singh, the father of former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, isn’t happy seeing age becoming a criterion.
In a chat on Sports 18, Yograj said that fitness and form should be the criteria for a player’s selection and not age, even if someone is 40-42 years old
“This talk about age, that someone is these many years old… I have never understood it. What is wrong if you are fit at 40, 42 or even 45, and if you are performing? In our country, people believe that once you’re 40, you’re old, it’s time to have kids, you’re done. The truth is that you are not finished,” Yograj told Sports18 in an interview.
Yograj also asserted that Rohit Sharma and Virender Sehwag are the kind of players who never paid much heed to fitness. If players like them did that, they would probably go on to play till 50 years of age.
“Mohinder Amarnath was 38 years old when he won India the World Cup (he was 33). He was the Player of the Match in the final. So, I feel that in Indian cricket, the age factor should be scrapped once and for all. Rohit Sharma and Viru [Virender Sehwag] are two such great players who have never thought about fitness and training. If he does, he can play till he is 50,” he explained.
