India will want Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli experience on new pitches in the USA and West Indies: Irfan Pathan

At the 2024 T20 World Cup, which is slated to take place in June in the West Indies and the USA, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that India will require the expertise of senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Due to the team management’s preference for younger players with a view toward the future, neither player has participated in a 20-over international since India’s 10-wicket loss to England in the 2022 World Cup semifinal.

Given that age isn’t on Kohli and Rohit’s side, the forthcoming multi-team competition is considered another crucial opportunity for them to achieve the elusive ICC trophy after they almost missed out on collecting the silverware in the 2023 ODI World Cup. But India’s Twenty20 international operations since the 2022 World Cup raise questions because it’s not certain if the two will still be included in the 2024 plans. But according to Pathan, they have to.

In my opinion, Virat should be back on the field since, as we all know, he wasn’t playing at his best two years ago. For him, nevertheless, the most incredible competitions were the most recent T20 and IPL. There are a lot of unknown pitches in places like the West Indies and the USA, so you’ll need experienced players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both on and off the field,” Irfan Pathan said to Star Sports.

“The playing of both players also depends upon team management and their fitness, but I would love seeing both of them on the field, especially when Rohit has also changed his form and has been making a lot of runs in One Day Cricket,” he said.

Over the past 1.5 years, Virat Kohli form has been exceptional. Sunil Gavaskar

Former India great and co-panelist Sunil Gavaskar expressed similar thoughts, pointing out that both Rohit and Kohli are valuable additions to the ground-fielding game in addition to Virat Kohli outstanding results in 2023.

Kohli has had exceptional form over the past 1.5 years. During the 2023 World Cup, he performed incredibly well, scoring three centuries and 750 runs. His limited-overs batting is therefore beyond question. However, their ability to field makes me feel fantastic. “Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are still excellent fielders and will be a huge asset on the field,” stated Gavaskar.

Gavaskar also discussed how the 2007 World Cup victory contributed to the IPL’s birth and success in the years that followed. “One of the most thrilling experiences of my life was witnessing the 2007 T20 World Cup. I have witnessed Irfan Pathan and MS Dhoni competing and leading India to victory. It is evident that the T20 mania in India took off after that. Nobody had much experience with this format before that. Gavaskar stated, “That India victory also contributed to the IPL’s success in India.