'Wake up at 5 and run 20 KM' - Former India cricketer lashes out at Rohit Sharma on his fitness for international cricket

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket came suddenly. But they could've continued playing for 5 more years, believed Yograj Singh, former India international and father of Yuvraj Singh. 

While Virat is able to maintain the highest order and is active at the age of 36, Rohit's fitness remains a concern. To increase the fitness level, Yograj claimed that he advised Rohit on some tips, like waking up early in the morning and working hard physically. 

According to the latest media report, Singh said, "Virat and Rohit shouldn’t have retired from Tests. I told Rohit to get up at 5 AM and run for 20 km to keep himself fit. Virat and Rohit can still play for another 5 years in Test cricket. They should have played. They should be there to see that the baton is passed to the youngsters. The baton has not been passed; it has been thrown to Gill." 

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Rohit and Virat's retirements from the longest format of the game put pressure on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (India), as Team India is scheduled to play England from June 20. At first, the board officials had to find a suitable candidate for the captaincy role. For that, they chose Shubman Gill. Though Kohli's replacement is yet to be confirmed. 

Baton thrown to Gill!

Rohit announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 7, and Virat's announcement came on May 12, which offered very little time to BCCI to restore the Test setup, and the team now has been going through the transition phase in a sudden manner. For that reason, Yograj said, "They should be there to see that the baton is passed to the youngsters." The baton has not been passed; it has been thrown to Gill." 

From June 20, India will face England at Leeds for the first match of the five-match Test series. The series will test Gill as the captain and the team's resilience and performance without Sharma and Kohli.