Yuvraj Singh defends Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli amid criticism
What's the story
The legendary Yuvraj Singh has come to the defense of senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, following their dismal performance in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The duo drew a lot of flak after India's 1-3 defeat to Australia Down Under. "We are talking about our greats, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma; we are saying very bad things about them," Yuvraj told PTI. "People forget what they have achieved in the past."
Past accomplishments
Yuvraj highlights their past achievements
Yuvraj stressed on the past of Sharma and Kohli, and reminded critics of what they have done for Indian cricket. He said, "They are one of the greatest cricketers of this time. Okay, they lost; they did not play good cricket." He added these players are more disappointed by their performance than anyone else. This comes after Kohli scored just 190 runs in five matches and Sharma 31 in three Tests.
Confidence
Yuvraj expresses faith in India's future
Despite the recent setback, Yuvraj was confident about India's cricketing future under new head coach Gautam Gambhir. He said, "I feel that Gautam Gambhir as a coach, Ajit Agarkar as a selector, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah are the best minds in cricket right now." He believes this team has what it takes to steer Indian cricket toward success.
Captain's call
Yuvraj praises Rohit's selfless decision
Yuvraj also praised Sharma for his selfless decision to step down from the Sydney Test, owing to poor form. He said, "I think it is a big thing. I have never seen in the past that the captain's form is not going well, and he himself has gone out." He further added that this act of putting the team before performance shows Sharma's greatness as a captain.
Series
India lost 1-3 to Australia
The 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy ended with Australia reclaiming the title after a decade, winning the series 3-1. The final Test in Sydney saw Australia seal their triumph with a six-wicket win. With another defeat, India missed their berth for the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship final. While Bumrah emerged as a one-man army for India, senior batters Kohli and Sharma tanked.