'It is very dangerous just to write them off' - Joe Root heaps praise on veteran Indian batting duo

Indian cricket has been fortunate enough to have some of the best cricketers in the world over the years like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The two batters have been a mainstay for India over the years and have been critical in the success of the Indian team. But recently, the two experienced batters have not played in the shortest format of the game. 

After the 2022 T20 World Cup, India has looked beyond the two cricketers, to give a chance to the new faces. The likes of Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Rinku Singh, and many others have debuted in the period. The Indian team does not seem to recall the senior players for the T20 squad. Though it has its advantages, some seem to have forgotten the importance of these seniors. 

'As long as you’re fit, you go on and play' - Joe Root

Joe Root, the English cricketer, has spoken about the same. The former English captain spoke to the Times of India and said that it is dangerous to write off players like Rohit and Virat. The great batter from England said that players like Virat and Rohit tend to play longer and perform well in T20 cricket. For the sake of examples, Root took the name of Chris Gayle and James Anderson.  

“I think it’s very dangerous just to write off players like Virat and Rohit because of their age. Look at how long Chris Gayle, for example, played T20 cricket. Some of the best players in the world have gone longer, especially in T20 cricket, and have been wonderful with their performances. As long as you’re fit, you go on and play,” said Root. 

"Jimmy Anderson is a perfect example you look at. He is over 40, he's still performing exceptionally well. We're very fortunate that we've not lost out on that because we think he's too old. He's still playing and he's still leading our attack. And we're using all that experience and skill to our advantage. We're seeing him as a talent and ability and a wonderful player on his own," Root concluded.