Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan recently defended his criticism of Virat Kohli’s poor run during the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. The ex-cricketer turned analyst noted that when he made those remarks, the 36-year-old had been enduring a slump for five years.
Pathan pointed out that Virat Kohli kept getting out in the same way during the five-match series, either caught in the slips or by the wicketkeeper. He stressed that the team’s interests should come before any individual player’s status. Speaking to The Lallantop, Pathan said:
“If you look at my social media, there was Virat Kohli’s slump in 2019-20. At that time, it was said it was the time of COVID, and he wasn’t getting inspiration. I thought when a player of big stature undergoes their first slump, they should be backed. If you look at my social media, I backed him a lot. One, he deserved it, and won a lot of matches. If the slump continues for five years, then it’s not right.”
“Team always comes first. If a batsman keeps getting out the same way, opponents will stick to that plan. A champion player must force them to change tactics. Virat is a great player, but in Tests, he was repeatedly dismissed in a similar manner,” he said.
On losing his commentary role, Pathan said he followed protocols and spoke in the fans’ best interests. He added:
“During commentary, you must go beyond visuals and explain what’s happening and why. Praise good performances, criticize poor ones, a commentator’s duty is to the fans, not the players,” he said.
Irfan Pathan Defends Support For Rohit Sharma During 2024/25 BGT
Irfan Pathan clarified that his criticism of India captain Rohit Sharma came after the latter’s slump in Tests during the 2024/25 BGT. He added that fans had blown his interactions with the senior batter out of proportion. Speaking to The Lallantop (via NDTV), the all-rounder said:
“People said we backed Rohit Sharma too much. We were polite during his interview as he was our guest, but that was seen as support. We had said he should keep fighting, yet he wouldn’t have made the XI if he wasn’t captain,” he said.
“Rohit Sharma is an amazing player in white-ball cricket, but his average in Test cricket that year was 6, so we said that if he was not the captain, he would not have had a place in the team, and this is true,” he added.
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