Batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma called time on their Test career in the span of five days, leaving a big void in the Indian team ahead of the all-important England tour that marks the beginning of the new WTC cycle.

In an interaction with ANI on Wednesday (May 14), former cricketer Yograj Singh offered his unique perspective on their retirement.

"Virat is a big player, so it will obviously be a loss," Yograj told the news agency, underlining Kohli's stature and influence in the traditional format of the game.

He reflected on India's transition phase in 2011, adding, "When many players were either removed, retired, or coerced into retirement in 2011, the team fell apart and has still not stood back up."

While he acknowledged that "everyone's time comes," Yograj believes both Kohli and Rohit still have cricket left in them.

"I feel a lot of cricket is still left in Virat and Rohit," he remarked.

Talking about his son Yuvraj Singh's departure from international cricket, Yograj stated, "I told Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) that it was not the right move when he was retiring. One should walk away from the field when one can no longer walk."

Not the one to mince his words, Yograj Singh also expressed his concerns regarding the over-reliance on youth, cautioning that a lack of experienced leaders might disrupt the team.

"If you form a team full of youngsters, it will always fall apart," Yograj said.

"Maybe Virat feels that he has nothing more left to achieve," he added, suggesting that inner satisfaction might have influenced Kohli's decision.

Shifting his attention to Rohit, Yograj claimed that the Indian skipper could have prolonged his red-ball career with the right support.

"I think Rohit Sharma needed just one person to motivate him daily, for example, to go for a run at 5 AM," Yograj said.

"Rohit (Sharma) and Virender Sehwag are two people who retired too early," he added.

"The greatest players should play till 50 years of age... I am sad about their retirement as no one is left to motivate the youngsters now," Yograj continued.

(With ANI Inputs)