The former Indian all-rounder feels that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are cherishing each other’s achievements more than ever as they approach the latter stages of their careers. The two senior batters have stitched together two match-winning stands for India in their last three ODIs.
In the final ODI of the recent Australia tour, Rohit hit a century while Kohli contributed a fifty, and in the first match of the ongoing South Africa ODI series, the script flipped, with Kohli scoring the hundred and Rohit registering a half-century. Both legends stepped away from T20Is and Test cricket around the same period over the last 18 months, continuing to represent India only in the ODI format.
Speaking about the iconic pair ahead of the third ODI against South Africa, Pathan shared his views on his YouTube channel:
“India’s two big guns, Virat and Rohit, are in terrific form. So they’ll be expected to deliver the goods in the decider and win India the series. But the thing I am noticing most with both is I have never seen them enjoying each other’s cricket more. It’s not that they didn’t before, but now it feels like there is a purpose to it. And that’s exactly what they’ve in mind for the 2027 World Cup.”
He further continued:
“When Rohit Sharma scored a century and the way Virat Kohli was celebrating it, it was visible how much Kohli enjoyed it. Likewise, when Virat Kohli scored his century in the first ODI, the way Rohit Sharma in the dressing room was excited and waiting in anticipation showed he was celebrating his partner’s success so much. This is also great for Indian cricket.”
“Kohli is in top form, top mindset, and extremely hungry” – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan tipped Virat Kohli to notch a third consecutive century in the Visakhapatnam ODI, praising him for his breathtaking form and for keeping ODI cricket alive when fan interest is declining.
“Can Virat Kohli score a hattrick of centuries? Hattricks are not for everyone. It’s difficult to achieve that but Virat Kohli is capable of doing it. He’s in that kind of form and mindset and he’s also extremely hungry. There was a time when Virat Kohli was carrying Test cricket on his shoulders. Now he’s doing the same with ODI cricket. The crowds we see in ODI cricket is commendable,” said Pathan (via the aforementioned source).
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