Former India cricketer Yograj Singh has urged Rohit Sharma to continue playing international cricket for another five years, emphasizing the nation’s need for him. Speaking out against critics questioning Rohit’s fitness, Yograj insisted that those commenting haven’t played cricket themselves. At the same time, he advised the BCCI to take all necessary measures to help Rohit maintain his fitness even if it means “putting four men on him” and making him run 10 kilometers daily.
Yograj was referring to Rohit’s Player of the Match performance, scoring 76 runs off 83 balls in the 2025 Champions Trophy final. He said that innings demonstrated why Rohit could potentially play until he is 45 years old, giving a strong endorsement of the right-hander amid ongoing questions about his future with the Indian team. Although Rohit has retired from Tests and T20Is, there are rumors that the BCCI may soon phase out both him and Virat Kohli.
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“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. “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.”
“BCCI should ask Rohit Sharma to play for another 5 years. He has that class that he can play cricket till 40/45 years.”
– Yograj Singh pic.twitter.com/5vk7Fsr5Cn
— (@rushiii_12) August 15, 2025
Encouraged To Play Domestic
Yograj also encouraged Rohit to participate in domestic cricket to stay fit. “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?” he added.
Next Series
Rohit’s upcoming international assignment is a three-match ODI series in Australia scheduled for November. This series could be critical in determining the BCCI’s plans for Rohit’s role with the team and whether they see him as the leader who will guide India into the 2027 World Cup in Africa. Reports also suggest that both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli may feature in this Australia tour as their final series, marking the end of an era for the duo with the Men in Blue.
Additionally, there are growing speculations that Shubman Gill could be appointed as the future captain of the Indian team, signaling a new leadership phase in Indian cricket.
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