“They have to play domestic cricket” - Irfan Pathan's suggestions for Rohit and Virat for World Cup 2027

Irfan Pathan, a former all-rounder for India, thinks that being match-ready will be the biggest obstacle facing batting greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the run-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup. Given that they have both stopped playing Test matches and Twenty20 Internationals, Pathan emphasised that if the two want to compete in what may be their final big international competition, they would need regular playing time to keep their condition and sharpness.

According to Irfan Pathan, if Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma wish to compete in the 2027 Cricket World Cup, they must play domestic cricket. For the three-match series against Australia, Rohit and Kohli returned to the ODI squad; however, allegedly, they have not committed to the 2027 World Cup. According to Irfan, Rohit and Kohli have improved on their fitness, but playing a few ODIs a year won't be enough to provide them with match fitness. Instead, they need to play regular cricket.

The former all-rounder for India has now expressed his opinions on what the two veterans need to do to remain competitive. The Baroda native stated on his YouTube channel that although Rohit and Kohli still possess the drive and ability to go the whole distance, their greatest challenge will be keeping up their high level of "game fitness."

“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 regularly, both of them will have to ensure some game time. They have to play domestic cricket,” Pathan said.

“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 explained.

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