Irfan Pathan, who is a former Indian cricket team superstar, wants the BCCI to host more ODI format matches. Eventually, Irfan Pathan wants Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play more. The year started with both players playing two formats, and it ended with both players just playing one as they announced their retirement from Test cricket in May 2025.
With the World Cup coming next year, both players are still the front-runners in the team to secure their places. Irfan thinks that since the players just play one format, they need to play more ODI matches, as it would benefit the team. The year 2026 starts with a three-match ODI series against the New Zealand team, which starts on the 11th of January. In the coming months, India will play their ODI series against teams such as Afghanistan, England, West Indies, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.
Also check out: India vs New Zealand ODI & T20 Schedule: Date, Time, Venues, and all you need to know
Irfan Pathan wants Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play more
Recently, both players returned to play in their states for the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025. Virat Kohli smashed a century in the first match and scored 77 runs in the second match. At the same time, Rohit Sharma scored 155 runs in the first match as he completed his century in just 62 balls. In the second match, he was not able to get runs as he was dismissed for a golden duck. The players have shown that we are still our best and can play and perform at any level.
Why cannot we have five ODIs instead of three? Why can’t we have a triangular or quadrangular series? Why cannot we arrange that, because these two greats play only one format? It would not be wrong to say that if a lot of interest has returned to ODI cricket, these two have brought it
The biggest thing is that they are also performing. The World Cup is far away. You will definitely want to think about it, but I am also thinking that the more we get to see them, the better. These two players should keep playing, keep representing India, and when they are not playing for India, they should continue playing domestic cricket, because the more they play, the better it is
Irfan Pathan questioned why we can’t see a five-match ODI series in place of a three-match series. We are now seeing more matches in the T20I series than the ODI series, as earlier, there were more matches in the ODI series. It might surprise you, but the last time India played a five-match ODI series was against Australia, and it was in 2019, just before the World Cup began. From 2019, we have just seen a three-match ODI series, and it is also the same in the World Cup years.
There is no question about the class of the players, as both of them are the highest scorers for the Indian team in 2025 in the ODI format. Virat Kohli has scored 651 runs in 13 innings, which includes three centuries and four fifties. At the same time, Rohit Sharma has scored 650 runs in 14 innings with two centuries and four fifties and has a strike rate of above 100.