[Exclusive] Harbhajan Singh names Yashasvi Jaiswal & Riyan Parag as future replacements for Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli in T20Is

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from the T20Is minutes after winning the T20 World Cup 2024 on June 29. As the two greats of the game decided to step aside of the format, the debate over their successors caught fire. With many voicing their choices, former India spinner, Harbhajan Singh has suggested Yashasvi Jaiswal as Rohit’s successor and Riyan Parag to overtake Kohli’s middle-order responsibilities. 

It is worth noting that, Rohit and Virat continue to feature in the Tests and ODIs and the former is leading the team in both formats. It is also worth mentioning that, the duo of Rohit and Jaiswal has become the standard opening pair for India in Tests and they have done exceptionally well.

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“Yashasvi is the one, he is a really good player. I feel as an opener he can fill Rohit Sharma’s void. Obviously, becoming Rohit Sharma was not a year process, it was a long process for even Rohit to become Rohit Sharma. And Virat to become Virat Kohli. If you talk about replacing these two, it won’t be an easy job. But, I am sure the kind of talent we have in India, Yashasvi is the one and if we talk about the middle order, Riyan Parag is the one,” said Harbhajan speaking Exclusively with CricTracker, from the sidelines of LLC.

“Parag is one such player whom we could see winning games for India in the coming future. There are a lot of youngsters we have seen in IPL. Every season there emerges a new hero. If they get more cricket to play, they could get well-versed,” he added.

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Speaking of Riyan Parag, the right-handed batter debuted for India when the team traveled to Zimbabwe for the T20I series in July. Though not impressive with the bat, he was picked for the subsequent Sri Lanka tour. He received the cap from none other than Kohli and the stalwart while handing over the cap termed Parag to be a potential match-winner for India in the future.