“They must play domestic cricket!” – Irfan Pathan warns Rohit & Virat amid Shubman Gill captaincy switch
The winds of change seem to be blowing through Indian cricket, as Shubman Gill’s appointment as ODI captain has triggered widespread discussions about the future of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in international cricket. The BCCI’s announcement of the squads for the Australia white-ball tour has brought both veterans back into the fold, but former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has issued a serious piece of advice for the duo.
According to Pathan, if Rohit and Virat wish to continue till the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, they must remain active and avoid long breaks from competitive cricket. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan underlined the significance of “game-time fitness” — the kind that only comes from being match-ready and consistently competing.
“Rohit (Sharma) and Virat (Kohli) want to play the 2027 World Cup, but game fitness will be a big challenge for them. Rohit has worked well on his fitness. He is focused on that. But there is regular fitness and game-time fitness… If you are not playing regular cricket, both of them have to ensure some game time. They have to play domestic cricket,” Pathan stated.
Both Rohit and Virat have been away from the game since the conclusion of IPL 2025 in May. Neither featured in the Asia Cup 2025, with the focus shifting toward young guns like Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Their return for the Australia tour marks their first international appearance in over five months.
However, Pathan cautioned that such long gaps could hinder their rhythm and match fitness, particularly as they are not part of India’s T20I setup anymore.
“They are big players and know what to do. They have all the experience in the world. But they are not even playing T20Is, so there will be big gaps between the few matches that they play before the big World Cup. They will need regular game time to be fit for that. Only then will their dream to play the 2027 World Cup come true,” he added.
Meanwhile, the spotlight is firmly on Shubman Gill, who at just 25, now leads India in both ODIs and T20Is. His promotion marks a generational shift, as the young star steps into a leadership role previously held by legends.
Praising the BCCI’s move, Pathan called it the “right decision” but warned that Gill must shoulder enormous expectations.
“There is a leadership change, Gill will lead in both formats now. This is a big opportunity but a huge responsibility too. He has to take forward Virat’s legacy in Test cricket and Rohit’s legacy in white-ball cricket. This is a challenging but exciting phase for him as he is already batting well; he will need to keep that form going,” Pathan concluded.
As India embarks on the Australian tour, the cricketing world will be watching how Gill steps into his new role and how Rohit and Virat adapt to the evolving dynamics of Indian cricket.
