Yuvraj Singh defends Rohit Sharma amid criticism over Test performance
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh has come out in defense of Rohit Sharma, the current captain of the Indian cricket team.
This comes after a string of dismal performances by the team, including two back-to-back Test series losses.
First, they lost at home to New Zealand (3-0) and then in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (3-1).
Criticism has been rife against Sharma for his abysmal batting form and captaincy skills.
Past successes
Yuvraj highlights Rohit's past achievements
Further, Yuvraj urged critics to remember Sharma's past successes as a leader.
He reminded them that under Sharma's captaincy, India had won the ICC T20 World Cup and reached the finals of the ODI World Cup.
Mumbai Indians (MI) had also clinched the IPL trophy five times with Sharma at the helm.
Yuvraj also praised Sharma for his selflessness in stepping down from the Sydney Test due to his poor form.
Young talent
Yuvraj lauds young cricketers' performance in BGT
Despite the series loss being "a tougher pill to swallow," Yuvraj said he was impressed with the performances of the young players.
He specifically lauded Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who both scored centuries on their first-ever tour of Australia.
"Nitish scored a hundred on his first tour, it is amazing... Jaiswal scored 150 plus in his first Test in Australia, it is highly commendable," Yuvraj told the press at an event.
Coach support
Yuvraj backs head coach Gambhir, emphasizes on domestic cricket
Yuvraj also lent his support to head coach Gautam Gambhir, whose strategies and managerial skills have been questioned.
He emphasized the need to evaluate the team's performance over a longer period, like three or five years, instead of concentrating on individual series.
Additionally, Yuvraj highlighted the importance of playing domestic cricket for players like Sharma and Virat Kohli who are currently out of form.