‘We need experienced players like Virat and Rohit’ – Irfan Pathan on India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2024
Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma (Source: Twitter)
Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan recently opined that the Indian cricket team’s young squad will require the experience of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the upcoming T-20 World Cup 2024. The men’s T-20 World Cup 2024 will be co-hosted by the USA and West Indies from 1st June and India is put in Group Stage A with Ireland, Pakistan, Canada and the USA.
On a Star Sports network segment, Irfan Pathan discussed that in the unfamiliar pictures of the United States of America India will need the experience of their former captain Virat Kohli and their current skipper Rohit Sharma. He along with Sunil Gavaskar appreciated Kohli for his recent performances and incredible form which led India towards the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2022.
“Personally, I would like to see Virat on the pitch because when we talk about two years back, definitely he was not in his best form. But the last IPL and T20 were one of the most amazing tournaments for him. Also, when you are playing in countries like the West Indies and the USA, there are quite a few unknown pitches, and here you will need experienced players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both on and off the field,” Pathan spoke on Star Sports.
“The playing of both the 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 added.
Sunil Gavaskar on Virat Kohli’s recent form since 2022
Pathan’s co-panellist Sunil Gavaskar gave a nod to his statements and said, “Kohli’s form has been outstanding in the last 1.5 years. He played unbelievably in the 2023 World Cup, making 750 runs with 3 centuries. So there is no doubt about his limited-overs batting. But what makes me feel good is their fielding capacity. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are still great fielders and will be of great help on the field.”
“I was present at the 2007 T20 World Cup, and it was one of the most exciting times. I’ve seen MS Dhoni and Irfan Pathan playing on the field and winning for India. Clearly, from there, the craze for T20 boomed in India. Before that, nobody was very well-versed with this format. That win of India helped IPL as well to take off in India,” Gavaskar added.
