Irfan Pathan, a former Indian cricket player, believes Virat Kohli would only play in the IPL going forward. With his retirement from Test and Twenty20 International cricket, Kohli is only playing in the 50-over format. Since the IPL’s launch in 2008, Kohli has participated in every season.
The former T20 World Cup champion said that Kohli could play First-Class cricket as well, but not while using it as a means of establishing his abilities. “Maintaining fitness levels is the biggest challenge for non-active players like Kohli,” he said.
“For these professional cricket players, who are currently solely focused on playing cricket, playing consistently and maintaining their fitness would be their toughest problem. Therefore, it will be difficult to continue the game time. Revsportz cited Pathan as saying, “A lot of matches have been changed in both because T20 has taken over and one-dayers have taken a backseat.”
Virat will just play in the IPL and any other first-class cricket matches; he will not be playing to prove anything.
Pathan also disclosed that he had previously discussed the same topic with Rohit Sharma. The future of Mohammad Shami on the Indian squad was another topic he discussed.
“If game time continuity is managed, World Cup 2027 won’t be a problem. Regretfully, they will be under pressure. Rohit Sharma is really interested in fitness, based on our conversation. Furthermore, based on his practice in England, I am confident that Virat is also very keen. He continued, “I’ve also seen a statement from Mohammed Shami that says he’s very very keen too.”
In order to ensure that head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have a clear objective about the future of players like Rohit and Kohli, Pathan emphasized the significance of staying up to date with the game.
“I hope there has been clear communication. Given my knowledge of Gautam (Gambhir) and Ajit (Agarkar), I believe they will communicate clearly. Regular gaming time will prevent a variety of difficulties. Since they aren’t currently playing for India, that challenge will exist if you’re talking about 2027. “If there is a significant lapse after, say, three matches against Australia and the IPL, then the continuity breaks,” Pathan said.
In the five-match Test series, India is coming off a 2-2 tie with England. Their next appearance will be at the Asia Cup, which will start in the United Arab Emirates on September 9.
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