Former India all-rounder reveals Rohit Sharma’s clear plans about his ODI future

Former Indian player Irfan Pathan has shared insights on Indian cricket’s future, speaking about Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Varun Chakravarthy, and the importance of managing fast bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah.

Rohit Sharma’s ODI Plans

Pathan revealed that Rohit Sharma wants to continue playing ODIs despite retiring from T20Is and Test cricket. The former India captain is determined to stay in the 50-over format. Pathan, however, feels both Rohit and Kohli could face challenges in maintaining consistent game-time as the team evolves.

"This new (fitness) test is obviously not easy, so once you're able to clear it, that means your fitness is top-notch. I had a long call with him as well as far as just to know about his future plans, he's very keen. He wants to make sure that he continues playing,” Pathan said.

"As long as the player is fit, the age doesn't matter. But the challenge will be for him to have a game-time. Playing for India, I don't think there will be any issues with the motivation.

“Be it's Rohit. Be it's Virat or be it's Mohammed Shami as well. How much game-time they will have and how much they can continue playing cricket in whatever form, because they have retired from Test cricket (and) T20 Internationals as well,” Pathan said.

Varun Chakravarthy as India’s X-Factor

Pathan also highlighted the potential of spinner Varun Chakravarthy. Despite a poor outing in the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, he believes Chakravarthy can make a big comeback.

"You always think all-rounders bring the x-factor but I'll be excited to actually see how Varun Chakravarthy goes because you must know that there will be a redemption story,” he said.

“Varun was picked for the World Cup in Dubai which happened in 2021. I don't think so he did that well at that particular time. My eyes will be on Varun Chakravarthy because he has a lot of confidence and he can definitely come with the x-factor,” he said.

Bumrah’s Workload Cannot Be Managed in Big Series

Pathan further cautioned against managing workloads during major assignments, especially for key bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah.

“You must have heard that Pat Cummins will manage his workload to play the Ashes and would skip matches. But will he manage his workload during the Ashes?” he asked.

"This has been twisted a lot, but I say that by all means everyone's workload should be managed because they play so much. But once you are in a series and if you try and manage workload during that, you will not get the results," Pathan added.