India will kick off their 2026 campaign with a home white-ball series against New Zealand, starting with a three-match ODI series that will see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to action in India colours. With an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan urged the senior duo to stay actively involved in domestic cricket whenever they are not on international duty.
Importance of Match Practice
Speaking on JioStar, Pathan emphasised the necessity of sustained match practice for Rohit and Kohli, especially as they focus primarily on ODIs while India begins planning for the next World Cup cycle. “You definitely want to think about the ICC 2027 ODI World Cup. It is far away, but I just want to see both Rohit and Kohli playing for the longest time, for India, and when not playing international cricket, in domestic cricket. They are playing just one format and nothing else, so the more they play, the better it is,” Pathan stated.
Shubman Gill’s Growing Responsibilities
Pathan also reflected on the increasing responsibilities for Shubman Gill, who has taken on leadership roles in both Test and ODI cricket, highlighting the challenges of captaining the national side at a young age.
“When I was picked for the first time, at 19 years of age, the great Rahul Dravid said, ‘Irfan, it’s good that you have reached this level, but things will only get difficult from here on.’ Upon asking him, what should I do if things do get difficult? He replied, ‘You will get used to handling it…’ and the same will happen with Shubman Gill. One good thing that happened on the England tour for Shubman was that his Test average improved, and his authority over the team also increased. Now he also has the responsibility in ODIs and it is a huge opportunity for him to grow.”
Comparisons with Kohli
Addressing comparisons between Gill and Kohli, Pathan noted that such expectations are a natural by-product of elite talent and past greatness, while backing the young captain’s ability to meet those expectations.
“He is immensely talented, there is no question about that, and comparisons are inevitable. Virat Kohli was constantly compared to Sachin Tendulkar and was expected to perform at that level. Now that Kohli has reached those heights, Gill is being compared to him. There’s expectations that he must match those standards and score close to 25,000–30,000 runs, and he certainly has the ability to do so.”